President Trump said Wednesday that he’s eyeing the World War II Memorial on the National Mall as his latest Washington renovation project.
Speaking at his Cabinet meeting, Mr. Trump said he and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are looking to replace the fountain at the memorial as part of the renovations.
“Now we’re looking at the World War II fountain because that’s also in pretty bad shape on the bottom. I think we’re going to duplicate it with a slightly different color. Maybe we’ll go with a lighter color,” Mr. Trump said, drawing a contrast between the color he’s planning for the memorial and his recent repainting of the Reflecting Pool.
Since the start of his second term, Mr. Trump — a longtime real estate developer before becoming president — has announced or begun a number of construction projects across the nation’s capital.
He resurfaced the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, changing its gray bottom with a shade that he described as American flag blue; launched a battle to take control of the city’s three public golf courses; proposed building a sculpture garden honoring America’s heroes; proposed the Triumphal Arch at the Arlington Memorial Bridge; began construction on a 90,000-square-foot ballroom; and shuttered the Trump Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for a year-long renovation project.
Several of these proposals have sparked legal challenges and anger from city residents while federal planning agencies, filled with Trump allies, push them forward.
The World War II Memorial opened in April 2004. It was closed earlier this year for repairs and is scheduled to reopen soon, the U.S. Park Service said.
