Trump Gave Out a No-Bid Contract to Turn D.C.’s Reflecting Pool Blue

For a century, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has captured Washington’s history, a vast mirror for moments great and small.

Then, this spring, President Trump said he decided to paint it blue, and steered a government contract to somebody he said had worked on his swimming pools.

In the process, he made the pool into a reflection of Washington’s present.

To give out that $6.9 million no-bid contract, Mr. Trump’s administration invoked an exemption meant for urgent situations, The New York Times found. The exemption was supposed to be used only to prevent “serious injury, financial or other, to the government.” Administration officials made no public claim that such injury was likely; rather, officials said, Mr. Trump wanted it changed for the country’s birthday party on July 4.

“This project is now being completed at ‘Trump speed’ to ensure the iconic landmark is totally restored ahead of the 250th celebrations,” said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, in a statement to The Times.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/us/politics/reflecting-pool-trump-contract.html