Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
How much does Trump's D.C. construction cost?
Posted
July 9, 2026
Views
11,298
Likes
266
Engagement
2.35%
July 9, 2026
11,298
266
2.35%
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4:55Now PlayingWhat's the total cost of President Donald Trump’s construction and renovation projects in Washington, D.C.?
It's hard to pin down. But investigative reporter David Fahrenthold and a team at The New York Times has estimated a price tag of at least $1 billion, not including more than half a dozen projects where costs are unknown.
“What the public can't see is the spending. How much did the administration spend of public money, taxpayer money, on these projects? And what effort did the administration go through to make sure that it was spending the money wisely? That's what they're hiding, and I think they're gonna try to hide that as long as they can," he said.
PBS News digital anchor Deema Zein spoke with Fahrenthold about his reporting, including on three of Trump's projects: renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, construction and fountain repair in Lafayette Park and the president's proposed "Triumphal Arch," or “Arc de Trump.”
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