For the first time, President Donald Trump admitted there was a construction error on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which is seeing another round of costly renovations.
The initial construction cost more than $16 million, but the iconic Washington DC attraction had to be drained again after the Fourth of July due to peeling of the American-flag-blue liner that Trump ordered.
Trump admits reflecting pool construction error
Trump says contractors rushed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, causing an error; cameras to be added.
He blamed “vandals” on the issues the pool has seen, but after numerous people were accused of damaging the pool, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia dropped all of their charges.
Trump lashed out against U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, saying she needs to “re-visit her hastily made decision.”
Now, Trump has redirected some of the blame toward contractors for the first time.
Did Trump admit there was a construction error on the Reflecting Pool?
In a post on Truth Social Sunday night, the president said the reflecting pool “will be open shortly” following completion of the new renovations.
“As with many jobs, there was also some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening, but it was a very small area of this massive Pool, and was relatively inconsequential,” he wrote.
Despite no video evidence pointing toward vandalism, Trump stopped short of placing all of the blame on contractors.
He claimed former Olympian David Hearn was seen by a National Park Service worker “violently” ripping at the pool’s coating. But a separate Park Service employee said the pool was already damaged before Hearn touched it.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in court records the pool was damaged as a “result of a botched installation and not vandalism.”
When the pool renovations are complete, there will be more security cameras added in the area, the president said.