Trump awards no-bid contract for Reflecting Pool repaint

The exemption is typically reserved for urgent situations to prevent serious injury, financial or other harm to the government, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. Usually, government contracts are awarded through a public bidding process to the vendor offering the best job at the lowest cost, according to a detailed investigation by The New York Times. The emergency exemption was used because Trump wanted the project completed before his preferred Fourth of July celebrations, The New York Times reported.

Trump publicly stated that he selected the company because he believed they had done excellent work on swimming pools connected to one of his golf clubs. "I have a guy who's unbelievable at doing swimming pools up the road," Trump said. However, Atlantic Industrial Coatings' website does not mention that work, instead citing examples like reinforcing roofing for a power company and rehabilitating a culvert for a public road.

com, President Trump described wanting the Reflecting Pool color to be 'like in the Bahamas'. The White House said the project is being completed at 'Trump speed' to restore the landmark ahead of America's 250th birthday celebrations. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool upgrades are one of several beautification projects directed by Trump, including a $400 million White House ballroom and a suggested triumphal arch.

Work has already begun, with crews spraying ocean-blue paint on the 2,030-foot pool, The Independent discovered. Experts told The New York Times that changing the color was unlikely to fix problems that have marred the pool for decades. The pool has slowly sunk into the ground because it was built on marshland and underwent massive construction in 2010 but still faces filtration problems leading to algae blooms.

The National Parks Service cleans algae off the surface, but the president has expressed dissatisfaction at the green tint. The contract was awarded on April 3 to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a company whose website does not list any prior government-contract work. The company's past projects include reinforcing roofing for a power company and rehabilitating a culvert for a public road, according to its website.

Trump's use of the emergency exemption bypassed the standard competitive bidding process, which is designed to ensure the government gets the best value. The exemption is intended for situations where delay would cause serious harm, but critics argue it was misused to accelerate a cosmetic project. The reflecting pool, a 2,030-foot-long landmark between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, has long suffered from structural issues.

Built on marshland, it has slowly sunk and undergone major repairs, including a $34 million reconstruction in 2010, yet still faces filtration problems that cause algae blooms. The National Park Service regularly cleans algae from the surface, but Trump has reportedly been unhappy with the green tint. Experts consulted by The New York Times expressed skepticism that changing the color would address the pool's underlying problems.

The project is part of a broader push by Trump to beautify federal landmarks ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Other initiatives include a proposed $400 million ballroom at the White House and a suggested triumphal arch. White House Spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated that the project is being completed at 'Trump speed' to ensure the iconic landmark is totally restored ahead of the 250th celebrations.

Trump has also mentioned that he wanted the pool's color to resemble the waters of the Bahamas. The no-bid contract has raised questions about the use of emergency powers for non-urgent aesthetic upgrades.