Mother Jones
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We Toured Trump’s DC Vanity Projects and…They’re a Mess
Posted
September 2, 2026
Views
1,147
Likes
180
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19
Engagement
17.35%
September 2, 2026
1,147
180
19
17.35%
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The Supreme Court ruled this week that construction can move forward on President Trump’s $900 million White House ballroom. But across Washington, the president’s other pet construction projects aren’t going so well.
The Kennedy Center is closed, and its facade is covered with a tarp. The Reflecting Pool is drained and fenced off. The statue garden with sculptures of 250 Americans Trump hoped to complete by July 4 is nonexistent.
Should we even mention the 250-foot arch?
In fairness, the president has successfully fixed two ornamental fountains near the White House—it only cost the National Park Service $17.4 million (through a no-bid contract to Clark Construction) to do it. But they’re nearly impossible for the taxpayers who funded the repair to enjoy since the administration installed 13-foot steel fences around the perimeter of the park the fountains sit in.
Senior Reporter Dan Friedman scootered around the capital on a recent afternoon to check in on the pet projects the president hopes will leave his mark on Washington.
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Reporting by Dan Friedman
Produced by Peter Berger
#donaldtrump #america250 #reflectingpool #investigativejournalism #governmentspending #taxpayermoney #governmentcontracts #politicalnews
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