WASHINGTON, D.C. NOW ‘SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL’ UNDER TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP

On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum credited President Donald Trump with transforming Washington, D.C., calling the nation’s capital “safe and beautiful” while highlighting progress on restoring monuments, repairing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and launching America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Burgum stated: “It’s looking really good. It just takes leadership. President Trump has laid out the blueprint that this can be done.”

He detailed restoration efforts across the capital, noting that 48 monuments have been restored and 23 fountains brought back to life—some of which hadn’t had water for decades—while eliminating over 1,000 graffiti sites. Burgum also reported that the crime rate is “dropping through the floor.”

Discussing repairs to the century-old Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Burgum noted previous attempts had failed, referencing then-President Barack Obama’s effort from 2010 to 2012—a $35 million project closed for two years that he called “a complete failure.” The pool, he said, had been leaking at a rate of 45,000 gallons per day before crews installed a durable spray-on liner similar to the “Rhino Liners” used in pickup truck beds.

Burgum emphasized the new liner stops leaks permanently: “That’s the kind of surface that was put on here that can stop the leaking forever.” He blamed recent damage on vandalism rather than construction defects, stating, “There was no failure of the liner until people started cutting it. It was fine until slices were gone into it.”

According to Burgum, authorities have made six arrests and issued seven citations after vandals used box cutters, leaving “almost 350 feet worth of slicing.” He added that the damage affects only “a fraction of 1%” of the 8-acre pool and is “easily fixed.”

Burgum also addressed algae concerns in the reflecting pool, reporting the department has installed “nanobubblers”—a system using ozone instead of chemicals to clean water. “Between the nanobubblers, we’ve caught up on the algae, and now I think we have a permanent solution,” he said.

Looking ahead, Burgum promoted Wednesday night’s opening of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, stating Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and he would “kick off the Great American State Fair tonight” with all 50 states and six territories represented. He also announced the upcoming opening of a new Undercroft Museum beneath the Lincoln Memorial, which will display “some of the most important documents to America,” including those signed by Abraham Lincoln such as the Emancipation Proclamation.

Burgum concluded: “Really cool stuff happening as part of our celebration. Happy 250th.”