Reflecting Pool Repair Row

Burgum defends Trump admin's handling of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool repairs.

•Balanced

Interior secretary says Trump administration will use the same company to repair Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damage

Burgum clashes with CNN host, blasts media for questioning vandalism of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

Ex-RNC chair torches Doug Burgum's Reflecting Pool story: 'We know that did not happen'

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Analysis & opinion

The reporting

A neutral summary of the key facts most outlets agree on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Sunday the Trump administration will not seek new bids to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and will use the same contractor that installed the “American flag blue” sealant under a multimillion-dollar no-bid contract. Burgum said vandals cut multiple gashes in the pool’s industrial liner totaling about 350 feet along the sloped edge of the 7-acre pool. He defended the project as successful, said algae had been “in the pipes” and was gone, and said repair costs would be “a small number.”

Analysis & opinion

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Dubious Vandalism ClaimLeans Left

The vandalism explanation for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damage is not credible and deserves serious skepticism. Doug Burgum’s angry responses to questioning only underscored the Trump administration’s weak defense of a troubled renovation project.