Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Sunday defended the recent renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, characterizing the project as a "big success" despite ongoing criticism regarding its cost and condition. Burgum stated that further repairs to the pool's liner will amount to a "small number."
Renovations on the Reflecting Pool commenced in April and have exceeded their initial budget, costing over $16 million, an increase of $4 million from the original contract. The Trump administration had prioritized these repairs in anticipation of the nation's 250th anniversary.
"It's fixed in the sense that it's no longer leaking 45,000 gallons a day," Burgum said during an interview on ABC News' "This Week." He noted that less than one-tenth of one percent of the industrial liner sustained damage, which he attributed to vandals. Burgum indicated that these damages are the only remaining issues to be addressed.
Burgum, who is overseeing the project, asserted that the initial renovation was completed at a "fraction of the cost" compared to previous projects. He explained that the additional work on the pool's lining will not significantly increase the overall expense. The cost savings, he said, are due to the primary expenses being labor and materials for the liner, alongside a new nanobubbler system that has successfully combated algae growth, a persistent issue in shallow pools during hot weather.
Trump has blamed individuals for causing approximately 350 feet of gashes in the pool's liner, suggesting a knife or box cutter was used. Burgum corroborated these claims, adding that more cameras have been installed at the site as a preventative measure. "We weren't expecting that we were going to have a small group of people that wanted to try to destroy effectively what is part of the Lincoln Memorial," Burgum stated.
The Reflecting Pool renovations have drawn criticism from political opponents, including House Oversight Committee Democrat Robert Garcia. In June, Garcia requested detailed information from contractors involved in the project. He described the pool as Trump's "latest failed vanity project."
Burgum also claimed that the water in the Reflecting Pool, which was temporarily closed for the July Fourth fireworks display, was "crystal clear." He suggested that anyone present before the fireworks installation could attest to the water's clarity, indicating that this aspect of the project has been resolved.
"So the Reflecting Pool has been a big success," Burgum concluded. "And we've got 340 million people in this country that are celebrating 250. We did have a few vandals, but all that's going to be repairable, and that'll all be fixed in the coming weeks as we go forward."