Trump Spends Millions Painting Reflecting Pool Blue for America’s 250th Anniversary
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27
Trump Spends Millions Painting Reflecting Pool Blue for America’s 250th Anniversary
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27
Summary
Millions of dollars were spent to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “American flag blue” as part of preparations for the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Donald Trump described the site as a swimming pool upgrade, with the repainting presented as a visible centerpiece of the coming semiquincentennial celebration.
The spending surfaced in a New York Times Opinion discussion that framed the anniversary against a backdrop of deep national division and unease about how celebratory the moment feels.
That contrast — patriotic pageantry tied to a landmark in Washington while the country remains politically fractured — has become part of the broader debate over what the 250th anniversary will represent.