Trump Disowns Lincoln Pool Contractor as Repairs Face May 22 Deadline
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Trump Disowns Lincoln Pool Contractor as Repairs Face May 22 Deadline
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Trump said Tuesday he did not award the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool contract and did not know or use Atlantic Industrial Coatings, reversing his earlier public endorsement of the firm.
Interior Department documents cited bubbles, small holes and uneven blue waterproofing, while officials also flagged slow progress that could jeopardize the May 22 completion target.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings was hired last month to repair, resurface and paint the pool after the government bypassed normal bidding rules, arguing urgency ahead of U.S. 250th-anniversary events.
The setback adds to decades of leaks and algae problems at the Reflecting Pool, an iconic Washington site that has long required repeated fixes.
Can an urgent, problem-plagued renovation truly fix the Reflecting Pool's historic flaws before the deadline?
Will the Lincoln Memorial's iconic reflection be permanently lost to a swimming pool-blue finish?
Why did a $7 million pool repair contract surge to over $48 million after bypassing federal bidding rules?