Trump Threatens ABC Lawsuit Over $16 Million Reflecting Pool Report as FCC Probes Mount
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 23
Trump Threatens ABC Lawsuit Over $16 Million Reflecting Pool Report as FCC Probes Mount
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jun 23
Summary
Trump said he is preparing lawsuits against ABC over its report that Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool repairs and algae-control work topped $16 million, calling the coverage false.
ABC had reported repainting costs alone rose to more than $14.65 million—over $4 million above the original no-bid contract estimate—and cited a separate $1.74 million no-bid contract for a "nano bubble" algae system.
In defending the spending, Trump claimed Obama and Biden had spent more than $100 million on the pool and that recent damage was vandalism involving a 350-foot slit, but he offered no evidence; PBS previously reported about $35 million in Obama-era repairs.
The threat revives Trump's clash with ABC after the network paid $16 million to settle a 2024 defamation case, including $15 million for his presidential library and $1 million in legal fees.
The dispute lands as ABC already faces two FCC investigations under Trump appointee Brendan Carr and pressure over early license-renewal filings for eight local stations.