The Trump administration has allocated over $20 million in taxpayer funds to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a popular landmark in Washington, D.C. The initial project was expected to cost around $1.5 million, but expenses ballooned after the National Park Service awarded a no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC, which received additional funding in May and June 2020. A second contract, worth nearly $2.7 million, was given to American Ag Energy Inc. for repairs and upgrades to the pool’s water purification and sewage systems. Despite these efforts, the pool faced recurring issues, including algae growth and peeling sealant, which led to the pool being drained again for further repairs. In an attempt to address the ongoing problems, Ohio-based Green Water Solutions was awarded $1.8 million to install a new water-purification system. The Trump administration justified the use of no-bid contracts by citing the need for urgent repairs to avoid "serious injury" to the government, though the specific nature of this injury has not been clarified. Meanwhile, President Trump has publicly criticized alleged vandalism at the pool and pushed for criminal charges against individuals he accused, without providing evidence, of damaging the site. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro filed a motion to dismiss a case against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of damaging the pool. The Department of the Interior later determined that the damage was the result of a botched installation by a contractor, not vandalism. Despite this, Trump urged Pirro to reconsider her decision, acknowledging that some contractor error contributed to the damage. However, Pirro has indicated her office is not ready to close the case entirely. Hearn’s legal team argued that the case was politically motivated and lacked factual support, citing Trump’s public comments as evidence that Hearn was being targeted in a politically fueled attack. Pirro’s office, however, maintained that other evidence could still emerge and requested that the case not be dismissed with prejudice, which would prevent future charges from being brought against Hearn. The legal battle continues as both sides present their arguments in court.