President Donald Trump has used his second wayward presidency to renovate parts of the White House and several historic landmarks. So far, Trump has paved over the White House Rose Garden with cement for a patio, renovated the Oval Office with gaudy gold fixtures, torn down the East Wing to buil d a $400 million ballroom, and renovated the Lincoln Bathroom. Donald Trump boasts about his renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. (Photo credit: Alex Brandon-Pool / Getty Images) However, the White House upgrades apparently weren’t enough. Trump’s plans to reshape more of Washington, D.C., have already angered locals and lawmakers trying to stop several projects. The flashy gold accents and oversized touches have critics saying the changes look more like overcompensation than restoration. One proposal includes a reported $13.1 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. While giving a press tour of the multi-million dollar ballroom construction site on Tuesday, Trump managed to throw in a lie about his predecessors. The 79-year-old repeated a misleading claim about former President Barack Obama while discussing past renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. ‘Wait, What?’: Trump’s Reflecting Pool Ignites More Fury as D.C. Residents Discover Another Unqualified Hire After His Meltdown at a Reporter ‘What a Freaking Waste’: Trump’s Reflecting Pool Makeover Goes Off the Rails After Viral Videos Expose Uneven Paint, Rushed Work, and One Costly Mistake Nobody Thought Through Despite Obama spending $35 million when he renovated the reflecting pool during his first presidency, Trump claimed his predecessors spent $100 million to $200 million. “President Obama, President Biden spent much more than $100 million on the reflecting lake between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument,” he claimed. “They spent much more. They spent, some people say $200 million.” The Biden administration reportedly postponed a planned renovation upon receiving a $100 million estimate for the job. Trump stunned onlookers by repeatedly calling the famous Reflecting Pool a “reflecting lake” — an odd new name he seemed to coin on the spot while raving about his so-called “beautiful” renovations “You know what they got out of it? A closed lake,” continued Trump. “It leaked. It was a disaster. I’m doing a job on the reflecting lake for a fraction of what they paid. Now, I’ve upgraded it very I got so into it. I’ve upgraded it like you wouldn’t believe.” The former reality star insisted that the walkways and other renovations will be done “properly.” Trump even sounded giddy describing plans to paint the reflecting pool dark blue before launching into more questionable claims. Trump: I'm doing a great job on the Reflecting Lake. I've upgraded it like you wouldn't believe. It's going to be beautiful. It's going to be waterproof. It's going to be reflecting. pic.twitter.com/QRbYkn4TP7— FactPost (@factpostnews) May 19, 2026 “Going to be beautiful. It’s going to be waterproof,” he claimed. “It’s going to be reflecting again. Uh, I took over a dirty, filthy thing that wasn’t open, and it was disgusting.” He said friends were blown away during visits to the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. “They’d say, ‘Sir, it’s disgusting.’ I said, ‘What’s disgusting?’ The reflecting lake,” Trump added. Trump boasted the pool would “reflect again” — an awkward claim given that his own decision to paint it blue was reportedly what killed its reflective quality in the first place, forcing a last-minute switch a different blue to compensate. After a video of his comments went viral on X, folks weighed in on his ridiculous statements, and several pointed out the “new name” and the obvious. “The first waterproof lake … impressive,” joked one while another asked, “So the water in the reflecting lake won’t be wet??” Trump is taking an historic ‘reflecting’ pool and turning it into a swimming pool on Long Island… pic.twitter.com/lQaoFUBBZA— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) May 17, 2026 Another user noted Trump’s distinct style tastes in their response. “It looks more like a cheap motel swimming pool, but I’m sure he’ll put some of his gold trinkets around it to make it more luxurious (or tacky).” “Waterproof? Is it me or does this mf get dumber by the minute,” replied one. “He’s so stupid,” added another. One user wondered if it wasn’t time for Trump to be put out to pasture. “Dementia donnie, it’s time for him to resign. He’s not capable, he proves that every single day.” Another asked, “WUT! So now the ‘reflecting pool’ is gonna be changed to ‘reflecting lake?’ Also how do you ‘water proof’ WATER? My GOD this man is insane. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be finished in time for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations in D.C. on July Fourth. ‘So the Water Won’t be Wet?’: Trump Goes Off the Rails on Reflecting Pool, Accidentally Exposes Major Flaw Before Slapping It with a Bizarre New Name ...read more read less