Fetterman Defends Lincoln Memorial Renovation
Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, spoke out on Tuesday in favor of President Donald Trump’s funding for the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He urged critics to “get over TDS,” referring to “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
In a post on X, he referenced a New York Times report that claimed the renovation’s cost had ballooned to $13.1 million, significantly higher than the original estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million provided by the President.
Despite the raised costs, Fetterman dismissed the outcry over the “American Flag Blue” renovation, suggesting that the focus on price and visual changes stemmed more from partisan bias than from genuine fiscal concerns.
“Please stop this outrage. $13 million? This is an iconic American site that was in deep disrepair,” he wrote. “Let’s overcome TDS and celebrate the completion of 250 projects,” referring to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.
According to the New York Times, the U.S. Department of the Interior raised the contract with Virginia’s Atlantic Industrial Coatings by $6.2 million to speed up the renovation.
This budget change comes after President Trump clarified that the previous administration had estimated a vast $301 million for a more comprehensive three-and-a-half year upgrade to replace the original stone of the landmark.
In preparation for the nation’s 55th anniversary, President Trump opted for a quicker and cost-effective route, hiring a professional pool company to apply an “industrial pool topping” over the existing stone to address leaks.
The President defended this expedited method, stating it would be completed in weeks rather than months, contrasting with the initially expected timeline.
He also criticized reports from various newspapers, including comments from former Democratic President Barack Obama, who spoke of a previous “costly failure” in maintaining the “long-standing broken, unsightly, and unsanitary reflecting pool.”
“It will stay true, it will shine, and it will be the pride of Washington, D.C., for decades to come,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I saved over $390 million and went through four years without any mess, yet got no credit from the critics,” he added.
The Obama administration had spent between $30 million and $34 million on a two-year renovation funded by the 2009 economic stimulus package.
