Triumphal Arch: How Trump is Leaving His Mark on DC

Twice the size of the Lincoln Memorial, taller than almost all structures in Washington DC, and the winged figure atop rising some 60 feet high, the equivalent of a six-story building: President Donald Trump’s proposed “Triumphal Arch.” Bloomberg CityLab writer Kriston Capps joins Christina Ruffini in Washington DC to discuss the impact Trump is having on the architecture of the nation's capital.  President Donald Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool would be covered in a protective substance commonly used in swimming pools as part of a renovation project.

The iconic pool on the National Mall, which was built in the 1920s, is “decaying” and plagued by leaks, Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House. After speaking with a pool contractor who worked at his Washington-area golf club, Trump said he pitched Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on pouring an industrial-grade “substance” inside to better preserve the stone surfaces.

“In another couple of weeks, we’re going to have the most beautiful reflecting pool in the Lincoln Memorial that you’ve ever seen,” Trump said. He added that he picked the color “American flag blue” for the coating, after first cosidering a turquoise color evocative of the Bahamas.

Secretary Doug Burgum

@SecretaryBurgum

.@POTUS fixes problems!

After years of neglect, the Reflecting Pool will be more BEAUTIFUL than ever, faster and at a lower cost than projected. @POTUS is always negotiating the BEST deal for the American people, and this project is no different!

Sent via Twitter for iPhone.

View original tweet.

The president did not name the specific substance that would be used in the reflecting pool, which he said would be poured over the existing granite. He said the work would be done in time for the US’s 250th anniversary celebrations on July 4, and cost substantially less than repairing or replacing the current stone.

“It’ll take about three days, and you’re gonna end up with a beautiful, beautiful reflecting pool,” he said.

Trump also said he was installing new walkways on the White House grounds made of granite sourced from Italy.

Read more: Trump’s Ballroom Plan Is About More Than a Building

Trump has become fixated on grandiose construction and renovation projects in Washington, an effort to shape the nation’s capital in his own image. That includes a new White House ballroom, a reconstruction of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and a 250-foot triumphal arch at the foot of Arlington Cemetery.

His vision for Washington has drawn backlash from local groups and historic preservationists, who say he lacks the authority to unilaterally move ahead with his plans. Trump has installed loyalists on several boards responsible for reviewing the plans. A federal appeals court allowed ballroom construction to proceed through early June, in a lawsuit fighting the project.

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