On Monday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he intends to file a lawsuit against the ABC television network over what he claims are false reports concerning how his administration handled the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
In a social media post, Trump said he is “preparing lawsuits against ABC for false reporting,” asserting that the network omitted the costs incurred by previous administrations in its coverage of the reflecting pool.
In his post, Trump claimed that earlier administrations had spent “between $300 and $400 million” on the pool.
The reflecting pool has become a source of controversy for the Trump administration: just a few days after a major renovation costing over $16 million—which was $4 million above the original budget—algae appeared in the water and the paint began to peel.
Trump blamed vandals for the incident, alleging they had damaged the pool “very severely,” though he provided no specific facts or evidence. He even accused ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl, of attempting to cause damage to the pool.
Separately, administration officials reported that at least five people had been detained on charges of vandalism related to the pool.
Trump has frequently criticized media outlets that he believes portray his administration in a negative light.
In late 2024, he won a defamation lawsuit against ABC and was awarded $16 million.
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