Democrats probe Trump’s troubled $16 million reflecting pool renovation

A group of Senate Democrats is probing President Donald Trump‘s troubled renovation of the reflecting pool in Washington that has drawn scrutiny for running over budget and rapidly deteriorating.

The Democrats, in a Thursday letter led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and addressed to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, argued the “American people deserve to know why the rehabilitation project has failed and the corrective actions the Department is taking to address this ongoing issue.”

“Since announcing the renovations, the project has been plagued with a number of issues — raising serious questions about project management, contracting practices, quality control, and fiscal responsibility,” the senators wrote.

Trump’s renovation of the reflecting pool has captured national attention, as his “American flag blue” resurfacing began peeling and algal blooms flourished. The renovation was intended to enhance the reflective qualities of the pool and reduce algae growth and was touted by the White House as a success despite apparent problems.

Trump has acknowledged issues with the paint and the algae, but has, without evidence, blamed the shallow pool’s problems on vandals.

On Wednesday, Trump posted a photo of the surface of the pool to his Truth Social account and said, “This is the hard rubber surface — No Paint — Before the Vandals cut and pulled it apart!”

The Democrats noted that while Trump initially said the reflecting pool renovation would cost $1.8 million, it has now ballooned to more than $16 million, ABC News reported last week, citing federal contracting documents.

“The issues now facing the reflecting pool are not simply maintenance concerns, but failures in project execution and government oversight,” they wrote. “Following the award of a no-bid contract and a drastic increase in project costs, the public was assured that the rehabilitation project would restore one of the nation’s most visible landmarks. Sadly, that has not happened.”

The pool is now expected to be drained again for additional repairs.

“If a project this costly and of this magnitude cannot remain functional for an entire month after its completion, serious questions must be raised regarding the planning, execution, inspection process, and the Department’s acceptance of the completed work,” they continued.

The senators demanded answers from Burgum about the project. The Interior Department houses the National Park Service, which manages the National Mall and its monuments.

The Interior Department, when asked by CNBC for comment on the letter, responded “What failure?”…