WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is resurfacing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, coating its bottom with a shade he described as "American flag blue." Crews are spraying the new coating on the 2,030-foot pool, and the Department of the Interior expects the work to be completed by the end of May.

Trump said the project would cost less than $2 million and take one to two weeks. He said he is working with one of his best "pool builders" from his real estate days, who advised against using a turquoise shade "like in the Bahamas."

Trump had been discussing fixing the reflecting pool since at least November 2025 and accelerated efforts in April after saying there were complaints about the pool's condition. The pool underwent a major renovation from 2010 to 2012 that included structural fixes for leaking and sinking and made the pool shallower. According to the Department of the Interior, wrong-size pipes installed during that renovation caused the need for 71 million additional gallons of water refills, costing over $1 million, in 2019 alone.

The resurfacing is one of multiple construction and renovation projects the president has announced or embarked on across Washington, D.C. His proposed changes include renovating the White House ballroom, resurfacing the reflecting pool, renovating the Kennedy Center, and constructing a triumphal arch. Many of the initiatives are connected to the United States' 250th anniversary in July.

"I have two jobs. I have a construction job, which is really like relaxation for me because I have been doing it my entire life," Trump said.

Many of the president's Washington, D.C. proposals have faced legal challenges. Federal planning agencies with boards dominated by administration allies are advancing the proposals. Congress could intervene but is unlikely to do so while both chambers are controlled by Republicans.