Trump Inspects Restored Reflecting Pool on National Mall, Blames Obama for Prior Leaks

President Donald Trump visited the National Mall on Thursday. He drove his motorcade through the drained Reflecting Pool to inspect a restoration project he said corrects a "disaster" left by the Obama administration.

Standing on the pool's floor, Trump touted a $1.8 million overhaul of the landmark. He contrasted it with the $38 million spent under former President Barack Obama on a project Trump called a "construction nightmare" that leaked right after completion.

The Reflecting Pool stretches more than 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It ranks among the most visited landmarks in the nation's capital and draws millions of tourists each year. The site has served as a backdrop for historic events and presidential ceremonies.

Trump was joined by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to review the application of a new, industrial-strength sealant. Trump said he personally selected the color for the new surface: "American Flag Blue."

"The color was never good because basically it had a gray stone underneath," the president told reporters. "Now it's going to have the great color. It's going to last a long time and you'll have no leak—guaranteed."

Previous estimates to fix the 2,400-foot-long pool reached as high as $355 million over multiple years, according to prior National Park Service planning documents. Trump said his team is completing the work in two weeks for a fraction of the cost.

The National Park Service oversaw a major rehabilitation of the Reflecting Pool that finished in 2012 at a cost of roughly $30 million. That project addressed structural issues and chronic leaking that had plagued the site for years.

The inspection formed part of a broader beautification push for the nation's capital. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the Department of the Interior has cleared more than 1,000 graffiti sites and 82 homeless camps in recent months under Trump's direction to make the city "safe and beautiful."

"We've never had a president who has cared more, invested more, or put more time and attention into everything about the Mall," Burgum said.