Washington– A Washington-based nonprofit is asking a judge to force the Trump administration to halt work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and restore historic items at one of the National Mall’s most iconic sites.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, the Cultural Landscape Foundation said the administration was moving to repaint the lower part of the museum Reflecting pond Blue without undergoing relevant reviews contravenes federal preservation laws governing historic sites. The group said the changes to Reflecting Pool are part of President Donald Trump’s broader efforts moving forward Dramatic renovations in Washington Without proper reviews and undermine the tone of the area.
Charles A. said: “The design intent, to create a subservient reflective surface, is fundamental to the solemn and sacred visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial,” Birnbaum, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “A blue-colored aquarium is more suitable for a resort or theme park.”
Trump took a personal interest in the project, calling the area “shitty” before workers repainted the reflecting pool a color he called “American Flag Blue.” for him He was leading the procession On a reflecting pool that was drained and repainted last week to give him a chance to do a first-hand review of the project.
Speaking at the Rose Garden event on Monday evening, Trump said the pool would reopen “sometime next week, or the week after.” He did not mention the lawsuit in his comments, but said the end result would be beautiful and dismissed criticism that it was just new paint. “This is not paint,” he said. “This is very sophisticated stuff.”
The lawsuit was filed against the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, which oversees much of the renovation work underway in Washington. Interior Department spokeswoman Katie Martin said in a statement that Trump “has done more to make our nation’s capital a shining beacon than any other president in the history of this country.”
“The Department is proud of the work our Park Service is doing to ensure this magical spot can be enjoyed not only on our 250th anniversary, but also for many generations to come,” she said.
Over the past year, Trump has done just that The east wing was swept away To make room for the dance floor. His name has been added to the interfaces US Institute of Peace and Kennedy Centerwhich he plans to close for a while Two-year renewal. His face adorns the sign in Ministry of Justice Headquarters, among others. He’s pushing for a Arc de Triomphe Nearby Arlington Cemetery and parks, including Lafayette Square across from the White House, were closed for rehabilitation.
Many of these projects are also subject to litigation.