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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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As work begins to wrap up on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool refurbishment, President Donald Trump turned his attention to the land nearby, proposing the creation of a new promenade named after himself.
Speaking during an Oval Office news conference on coal energy Thursday, Trump gave an update on the pool, which stretches over 2,000 feet in front of the Lincoln Memorial, saying it was now being refilled after its resealing.
He then said there were plans underway to create a promenade behind the memorial close to the water.
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"It's called the promenade, they want to call it the Trump Promenade, but I don't know if I want to do that," Trump said. "But it's going to be beautiful."
Trump's announcement drew immediate criticism from Democratic California Representative Ted Lieu, who took to X saying, "Gas prices are up, Consumer products are up, Groceries are up. What is Trump focused on? Spending taxpayer funds to create a trump promenade. November is coming."
The potential project would be the latest effort by the president to make changes to the nation's capital, including building a new ballroom at the White House, creating a new memorial arch, creating the National Garden of American Heroes, and renaming the Kennedy Center to include his name. A U.S. District Court, however, ruled on Friday that rebranding the arts center violated federal law.
The president also reiterated that the Triumphal Arch will be built near the Arlington National Cemetery, and that the
'American Flag Blue' Water Refilling Lincoln Memorial
Trump said that water was flowing into the reflecting pool once more, as he held up a chart first seen on Wednesday, comparing the pool to the heights of three U.S. skyscrapers.
The president played a video of the site, showing water returning to the pool, which he had ordered repainted with a blue sealant known as "American flag blue."
While Trump has said the cost was between $1.5 million and $2 million, records show that $14.8 million in contracts were awarded for the project.
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How Deep is the Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC?
At its edges, the pool is roughly 18 inches deep, reaching 30 inches in its center.
When Was the Reflecting Pool Built?
The pool was originally built in the 1920s and sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial. It is the site where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.
During a 2012 refurbishment under the Obama administration, a new circulation and filtration system was installed, drawing water from the nearby Tidal Basin. Trump has criticized that refurbishment, saying it was not to a high enough standard.
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When Could Renovations Be Completed?
A court filing from the Trump administration said the pool, which holds roughly 6.5 million gallons of water, needed to be refilled no later than Sunday.
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