TODAY: President Trump unveils official reopening of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a pet project of the president’s and one of the crown jewels of his administration’s efforts to beautify Washington, D.C.
by Summer Lane | November 2, 2026
President Trump on Monday delivered remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, announcing its official reopening in the wake of an extensive renovation effort.
The president said the pool had “never worked” because it had historically been “loaded up with leaks and problems.”
“But today I’m thrilled to announce the official opening of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool,” the president said. “Now, we’re giving serious thought to changing the name to the Trump reflecting pool. We’ll announce that sometime tomorrow; I’m sure that Secretary Doug Burgum will have a lot of fun in announcing that.”
The president paused, then added, “I’m only kidding!”
President Trump said that, from the time the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was initially built, it struggled with leaks, algae, and structural issues. He said that former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama had spent more than $144 million trying to renovate the pool.
“They’ve been trying to figure this one out for a long time,” Trump continued.
Throughout the pool’s renovation, construction was interrupted by vandals at times.
“The vandals went to work, but we also went to work on the vandals,” President Trump remarked.
He mentioned the past arrest of an alleged vandal accused of desecrating the nearby World War II Memorial in D.C.
As reported by LindellTV, two felony charges were filed against Mellisa L. Farris in August, on allegations of vandalizing the memorial – charges that carry a penalty of up to ten years in prison, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Prior to that, prosecutors in Washington had initially sought to bring charges against several people initially accused of vandalizing the pool. However, Attorney Pirro later moved to drop the charges against several individuals involved.
President Trump said on Monday, “While past administrations tore down statues, allowed thugs and murderers to run wild, and let our capital fall into shameful disrepair, we’re treating our capital city with the love and the honor that it deserves. We respect it.”
