Trump Says Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Work is Done; Will Be Filled with Water by Sunday

The renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is complete, the administration of US President Donald Trump said. In a court filing, they said the pool is set to be filled with water no later than Sunday. Trump noted the work to paint the shallow basin of the Reflecting Pool in a deep shade, which he calls “American flag blue,” was completed on Wednesday. As of early Thursday, there were still vehicles in the basin and no sign of water in the pool, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Trump has put the cost of the pool work at $1.5 million to $2 million, but records show that at least $14.8 million in contracts have been awarded for the project. The president announced the work in April during an unrelated Oval Office appearance, saying he was inspired by complaints from a friend visiting from Germany who called the pool dark and disgusting. The project is another way for Trump to leave his mark on the city, following the demolition of the White House East Wing to build a large ballroom and plans to build an arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The reflecting pool, which is more than 2,000 feet (610 meters) long, was originally built in the 1920s. It sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and is one of the most iconic sites in Washington. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously gave his “I Have a Dream” speech there in 1963. The basin held about 6.5 million gallons of water — roughly as much as 10 Olympic-size swimming pools — before a 2012 renovation, according to the National Park Service. As part of that earlier renovation, the pool was reengineered with a circulation and filtration system that draws river water from the nearby Tidal Basin instead of using the city's drinking water. Washington and its surrounding states are experiencing drought. Critics have said Trump, a Republican, is spending too much time and attention on his pet projects and not enough on issues that voters care about, like the cost of living, in the run-up to the November elections. Others have said he wants the reflecting pool to look more like a swimming pool. Last month, a Washington-based nonprofit called the Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a suit asking a judge to force the Trump administration to stop work on the “dark grey” Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying the new paint colour suggested a “theme park.” An order in the case hasn't come yet, and on Wednesday, the Trump administration notified the court that the work was complete, with the basin set to be filled by Sunday. A message seeking information from the Interior Department, which oversees the Park Service, wasn't immediately answered. 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