The reporting found the firm coats highway culverts, fuel tanks and roofs—not swimming pools—undercutting Trump's claim that he chose his own "pool guy" for the job.
Work centers on sealing gaps between concrete slabs and adding a tinted waterproof coating Trump said he picked himself in "American Flag Blue," even though experts had not identified that coating as the needed fix.
Fahrenthold said the project captures a broader administration pattern: bypassing competition, ignoring expert views and rushing visible Washington projects to finish before July 4.