A preservation organization filed a federal lawsuit Monday aimed at stopping President Donald Trump’s renovation project at the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool in Washington D.C.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation claims the ongoing construction project breaks federal law under the National Historic Preservation Act, which Congress enacted in 1996 to establish guidelines for modifications to historically significant sites.
The organization is requesting an immediate court order to stop the Trump administration’s work, which involves changing the pool’s traditional “gray stone” look to an industrial coating that resembles a blue swimming pool.
According to the legal filing, “The dark grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design. It was the design.”
The Department of the Interior, which oversees the renovation work, faces the lawsuit. The agency defended the project in a statement, claiming Trump “has done more to make our nation’s capital a shining beacon than any other president in the history of this country.”
The former president revealed the renovation plans last month, describing the project as something that’s “going to be fantastic” and “really beautiful.” Trump made an unexpected visit to observe the construction progress via his motorcade.
According to Trump, a visiting German friend’s criticism of the reflecting pool’s condition inspired the renovation project.
“He said, ‘It’s filthy, dirty. The water is disgusting-looking. It’s not representative of the country,’” Trump explained to reporters during a White House gathering last month.
This legal challenge joins several others targeting Trump’s Washington D.C. improvement projects, including golf course renovations and a proposed White House ballroom addition.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the ballroom construction on March 31, stating that “unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!”
However, an appeals court subsequently removed that restriction, permitting ballroom construction to continue during ongoing legal proceedings.
