Reflecting Pool Repairs to Cost $13.1 Million. Trump Had Promised $1.8 Million.

[demmiblue]

Source: NYT

President Trump said that his handpicked contractor would charge only $1.8 million to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and paint it blue.

The actual cost is now more than seven times that, after the Interior Department nearly doubled the size of the contract late last week, federal records show.

On Friday, the Interior Department added $6.2 million to the contract’s previous cost, saying it now planned to pay $13.1 million to a Virginia firm called Atlantic Industrial Coatings. President Trump said he chose that company to repair the landmark because the firm had worked on the swimming pools at his golf club in Sterling, Va.

The government awarded that firm a no-bid contract last month, bypassing the requirement to seek competing offers by saying that the situation was so urgent that any delay would cause “serious injury” to the government. The government has not publicly said what that injury would have been.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/us/politics/reflecting-pool-paint-contract-trump.html

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Trump hired a company that had previously worked on his private golf club for this job repainting the Reflecting Pool in DC.

The company was given a no-bid contract that, according to documents reviewed by the New York Times, included a 20 percent profit margin

Remember DOGE?

— Robert Reich (@rbreich.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T21:19:11.310Z

[Irish_Dem]

1. At the same time Trump cuts food stamps and gas is so expensive.

[kacekwl]

2. That's another

13 million in trumps pocket. You're welcome America.

[Deuxcents]

3. My guess is..he either didn't pay or underpaid the contractor for work at his golf courses and promised

This job with no competition and a bonus from the taxpayers.

[magicarpet]

4. There see....

Under costs,

Under budget,...

Done years and years before the contract stipulated,...

Was the lowest bid by 5,600%,...

trDUMP is such a deal maker,... no one can meet his prices or quality of work.

Oh wait,.. I forgot.... it was a no bid,... cost plus - plus - plus contract with massive kickbacks for the big shit - big shot tyrant in charge.

Just forget I mentioned it,... okay ?

But,.. did I mention this,.. djt special ordered a huge wave making machine - so people can surfboard in the Reflecting Pool whenever they visit the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial. That will only cost an additional $157 million dollars in taxpayer funds,... plus additional reasonable kickback fees to the Mafia Don-OLD.

Ain't America Just the Greatest ? Makin' money hand over fist.

[3Hotdogs]

5. I wonder if he took the contracting class at Wharton that was taught by Professor William Marcy Tweed.

[Autumn]

6. Fat bastard takes his cut off the top.

[purr-rat beauty]

7. FWA is the new ATM

DOGE wasn't about saving $$

It was about Destroying our institutions

Musk best be brought to justice

[Buddyzbuddy]

8. No bid contract! Why? Is this now a National emergency?

The Bush Administration pushed through no bid contracts when supplies were needed from the defense industry.

During his 1st term the Felon awarded no bid contracts because of Covid.

Both times were objected to because of budgetary implications but still considered reasonable.

Is this new "emegency" because your sychophant b*tches will be out of office soon?

[DivByZero]

9. That's what happens

when you allow no-bid contracts to favor your cronies.

[slightlv]

13. I'd just like to know how the color of the bottom

of an pool of water can be classified an emergency situation that demands no bid contracts and comes in at 7x the original price. What are they going to do... put missile silos within it?

[flashman13]

10. The "repair" cost is $1.8M. The Trump grift is $11.3M for a total to tax payers of $13.1M. Got it?

[twodogsbarking]

11. How is he allowed to make these decisions? Is he? Does it matter?

Epstein was not mentioned in the UFO released files.

[Cheezoholic]

12. We just paid for all his properties pool maintenance for the next 10 years n/t

[BigmanPigman]

14. Does that include the mosaic tile artwork of tRump's ugly puss

lining the entire floor of the pool? You KNOW that's what he desires. He thinks he is a Caesar or some Greek God worthy of artisans working to create a bigly portrait in tiles made with fake gold.

[Pas-de-Calais]

15. Reflecting pool reflects Washington Monument & Congress

BLUE reflects NOTHING!

[FSogol]

16. The NYT is calling it a repair? It's an unneeded Trump grift.