Updated
Updated · NBC Washington · Aug 10
Reflecting Pool Fencing Extended to Sept. 10 as Trump Admits Contractor Error in $14 Million Project
Updated
Updated · NBC Washington · Aug 10

Reflecting Pool Fencing Extended to Sept. 10 as Trump Admits Contractor Error in $14 Million Project

3 articles · Updated · NBC Washington · Aug 10

Summary

  • Sept. 10 is the new target to remove fencing around the Reflecting Pool, the National Park Service said, delaying a planned Monday reopening while work continues and all surrounding sidewalks remain closed.
  • $14 million was spent to recolor the pool, but the liner began peeling after contractors rushed to finish before July 4, a mistake Trump publicly acknowledged for the first time Sunday.
  • Trump still said vandals caused some damage, even after prosecutors last week dropped felony charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn and said the peeling stemmed from flawed installation, not vandalism.
  • The reversal exposed a breakdown inside the government: prosecutors said the Interior Department had not told them about installation problems before Hearn was charged and publicly labeled a vandal.

Insights

Did the rush to meet a holiday deadline doom the $14 million Reflecting Pool project to catastrophic failure before it even opened?
Why did officials hide known construction flaws while a three-time Olympian faced felony charges for a multi-million dollar federal blunder?
With experts confirming massive installation errors, who will ultimately pay the massive price tag to fix the ruined historic landmark?