Interior Secretary Doug Burgum doubled down Sunday on the government's decision to retain Atlantic Industrial Coatings for repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, despite mounting questions about the company's original work and the escalating costs tied to the project.
Speaking on CNN, Burgum defended Atlantic Industrial's performance painting the pool's base in what he called "American flag blue," asserting the company "did extremely well" and deserved continued work. Loose paint chunks, he suggested, stemmed from vandalism rather than contractor error.
The decision to stick with Atlantic Industrial comes as the administration faces heightened scrutiny over the contract itself. The company, which has prior ties to Trump properties, received a no-bid award worth $13.1 million, far exceeding the initial Trump estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million. The contract later ballooned to $14.6 million as the National Park Service added scope, according to company owner Eddie Wood.
The pool's blue coating has been visibly deteriorating since work wrapped, with large sections peeling away and algae blooms turning the water a vivid green. The government responded by awarding a separate $1.7 million contract to Green Water Solutions, a firm connected to a wealthy Trump supporter, to address the algae problem.
Trump claimed without providing evidence that vandals had cut deep gashes in the pool floor, prompting authorities to make several arrests. Olympic canoeist David Hearn was indicted on property destruction charges last week after authorities accused him of damaging the pool. Hearn has maintained he did not tear or remove any coating and said he merely touched a piece of already-loose paint out of curiosity during a bike ride, an act for which he was arrested and held for five hours.
When pressed on Hearn's case Sunday, Burgum suggested the legal system would sort out the facts. He rejected any notion that Hearn's status as a former public figure should shield him from prosecution, noting that prior position does not exempt anyone from current law.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The Reflecting Pool fiasco keeps getting costlier and murkier, and Burgum's casual confidence in Atlantic Industrial only raises more questions about whether performance or connections drove these decisions."
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