Trump trolls Obama over Reflecting Pool at The Lincoln Memorial after boasting about his thrifty renovation that only took a week

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 00:38, 26 April 2026 | Updated: 00:39, 26 April 2026 Donald Trump took a shot at predecessor Barack Obama as he bragged about his thrifty makeover of the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial. The President, along with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, has promoted beautification efforts of various landmarks in Washington during Trump's second term. Trump said that the renovation was supposed to cost $301 million over three years but revealed that he pulled off the job for $2 million in one week, noting it was much less expensive than a $32 million job done under Obama in 2012.  However, it is worth noting that the 2012 renovation was a much more comprehensive restoration of the memorial involving structural changes. 'I do many such things for Government and, as President, it is my Honor to do so. This is just one of them,' he posted to Truth Social.  Trump separately posted a comparison photo of the Reflecting Pool under the man he referred to as 'Hussein Obama' next to one under Trump.  He revealed he had ordered the swimming pool's surface to be covered in a shade of 'American flag blue,' covering up a decades-old granite surface that he said was 'leaking like a sieve' and would take years to replace. The president announced the renovation at an Oval Office event Thursday, saying the coating had already begun.  Donald Trump took a shot at predecessor Barack Obama as he touted his cost effective cleanup of the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial The President has promoted beautification efforts of various landmarks on Washington during his second term He was inspired to tackle the project after a friend visited from Germany and lamented that the water was filthy and looked disgusting, Trump said. 'And I went over there with Secret Service in tow, and I said, "isn't that a shame? That's terrible,"' Trump said, showing reporters a photo of the site as it undergoes work. The project is the latest in a series of renovations in Washington, DC and follows others such as the demolition of the White House's East Wing to make room for a new ballroom.  Lined with stately elm trees between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, the reflecting pool is one of the most iconic sites in the capital. It is also where Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech in 1963. In Trump's telling, the Reflecting Pool project is a case study in business acumen. The president said he scrapped plans to have the granite replaced, which he said was going to bring the cost to the previously estimated $301 million figure.  Instead, Trump said he called a few pool contractors he knows from past real estate projects.  'I have a guy who's unbelievable at doing swimming pools up the road,' he explained. Trump said that the renovation was supposed to cost $301 million over three years but that he pulled off the job for $2 million in one week - much less than a $32 million job done under Obama in 2012 The president went with a plan to clean the granite and lay down a new 'industrial grade pool' surface for $1.5 million which could take a few weeks, he previously said.  Trump noted it would be ready well before July 4, when the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence. Trump brought up the project unprompted and spoke about it for several minutes at a White House event on efforts to reduce drug prices on Thursday. He said he initially wanted a turquoise-colored surface 'like in the Bahamas' but was sold when a contractor suggested 'American flag blue.' 'You're going to end up with a beautiful, beautiful reflecting pool,' Trump said, 'the way it's supposed to be, much better than it ever was.' Trump has pitched and put into plan various renovation projects during his second term, which include the controversial new White House Ballroom.  He has also promoted efforts made to clean up the National Mall in Washington, another task spearheaded by Burgum.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.