‘They made it worse’
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted an A.I.-generated image of Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi swimming in sewage in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as he erupted with anger against the New York Times for pointing out his renovations to the site will cost more than the original estimate.
“Dumacrats Love Sewage,” was the caption.
The image was posted as Trump flayed the New York Times for reporting Monday the cost of improvements to the iconic location in Washington, D.C., will be $13.1 million. The president’s original estimate for the project was just $1.8 million.
In his lengthy attack on the paper, Trump wrote: “They are now trying to justify Obama and Biden’s expensively botched attempt at fixing the long broken, unsightly, and unsanitary Reflecting Pool that NOW sits majestically between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
“They squandered at least 55 Million Dollars haplessly trying, with no chance of success, to get the Reflecting Pool to work. Instead, they made it worse, keeping it closed for years, and ending up with a leaking, smelling, ode to both of their failed Administrations. It was an embarrassment to Washington, D.C., and to our Country, itself. Despite the vast sums of money spent, they never got the pool to work, and cosmetically it was a total mess for all to see.
“Now, along comes ‘TRUMP,’ who is asked by many patriots if I can fix it. The answer is a resounding, YES, and for a ‘tiny’ fraction of the cost! I worked with our now strong Department of the Interior and explained to them that we should view this as a highly sophisticated swimming pool, not the leaking, dilapidated facade, joints and all, of a building. Instead of taking 4 years to build, at a cost, granite pavers and all, of 400 Million Dollars, we could construct a far superior Reflecting Pool for 5 or 6 Million Dollars, and could complete the project in 2 weeks rather than 4 years

“What a difference in time and money, and for a far superior end result! This is not just a paint job, like lowlife ‘reporter,’ David Fahrenthold, of the NYT so inaccurately and maliciously stated, it is a deeply complicated work of smart and beautiful construction. It won’t leak, it will shine, and be the pride of Washington D.C. for decades to come.

“I saved more than 390 Million Dollars, and 4 years of no ‘mess,’ and was, of course, given no credit by the biased New York Times. Also, I didn’t give out the contract, ‘Interior’ did, to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., took Trump’s side over repairs to the pool.
“Stop this henpecking,” he said on X.
“$13M? This is an iconic American place and was in serious disrepair. Get over the TDS and celebrate this is getting done for our 250th.”
Stop this henpecking.
$13M? This is an iconic American place and was in serious disrepair.
Get over the TDS and celebrate this is getting done for our 250th. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/X5PcTHfv8h
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) May 11, 2026
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Interior told the Daily Caller News Foundation: President Trump has done more to make our nation’s capital a shining beacon than any other president in the history of this country. The National Park Service chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations.”
“NPS is also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds from wildlife. The Department is proud of the work being carried out by our Park Service to ensure this magical spot can be enjoyed for not only our 250th, but for many generations to come.”
“The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project – more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th.”
As WorldNetDailly reported, Trump on May 1 posted a shirtless, A.I.-generated image of himself and a few of his Cabinet members lounging in the historic water.
“The GOAT of trolls!” said best-selling author Buzz Patterson, the former carrier of America’s nuclear football, with GOAT standing for the Greatest Of All Time.
The GOAT of trolls! Trump posted a picture of him floating in the newly-remodeled Reflecting Pool. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/O4nkrp2iTT
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) May 2, 2026