Interior Secretary Doug Burgum credited President Donald Trump on Wednesday with transforming Washington, D.C. He stated the administration has made the nation’s capital “safe and beautiful” while touting progress on restoring monuments, repairing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and launching America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Burgum highlighted restoration efforts across the capital, noting that “48 monuments have been restored, 23 fountains brought back to life, some that hadn’t had water for decades,” while “eliminating over 1,000 graffiti sites.” He also emphasized the crime rate is “dropping through the floor.”
Discussing repairs to the century-old Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Burgum said previous attempts had failed. He explained then-President Barack Obama “tried to fix it from 2010 to 2012,” resulting in a $35 million project that closed the pool for two years. Before recent work, the reflecting pool was leaking “45,000 gallons a day.” Now, crews have installed a durable spray-on liner similar to the “Rhino Liners” used in pickup truck beds, which Burgum claimed would stop leaks forever.
Burgum attributed recent damage to vandalism rather than construction defects, stating: “There was no failure of the liner until people started cutting it.” Authorities have made six arrests, issued seven citations, and filed 14 police reports after vandals used what appeared to be box cutters, leaving “almost 350 feet worth of slicing.” He added that the damage affects “a fraction of 1%” of the 8-acre pool and is “easily fixed.”
Regarding algae in the reflecting pool, Burgum noted the department has installed “nanobubblers” that use ozone instead of chemicals. “Between the nano bubblers,” he said, “we’ve caught up on the algae, and now I think we have a permanent solution.”
Looking ahead, Burgum announced Wednesday night’s opening of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, stating Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and he would “be kicking off the Great American State Fair tonight.” He also confirmed the upcoming opening of the new Undercroft Museum beneath the Lincoln Memorial, which will feature documents from the National Archives—including those signed by Abraham Lincoln such as the Emancipation Proclamation.
Burgum concluded: “Really cool stuff happening as part of our celebration.”
