Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
► For more, visit Mother Jones: motherjones.com
The Supreme Court ruled this week that construction can move forward on President Trump’s $900 million White House ballroom. But across Washington, the president’s other pet construction projects aren’t going so well.
The Kennedy Center is closed, and its facade is covered with a tarp. The Reflecting Pool is drained and fenced off. The statue garden with sculptures of 250 Americans Trump hoped to complete by July 4 is nonexistent.
Should we even mention the 250-foot arch?
In fairness, the president has successfully fixed two ornamental fountains near the White House—it only cost the National Park Service $17.4 million (through a no-bid contract to Clark Construction) to do it. But they’re nearly impossible for the taxpayers who funded the repair to enjoy since the administration installed 13-foot steel fences around the perimeter of the park the fountains sit in.
Senior Reporter Dan Friedman scootered around the capital on a recent afternoon to check in on the pet projects the president hopes will leave his mark on Washington.
Read the full story: motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/we-toured-trumps-dc-vanity-projects-its-a-mess
Reporting by Dan Friedman
Produced by Peter Berger
#donaldtrump #america250 #reflectingpool #investigativejournalism #governmentspending #taxpayermoney #governmentcontracts #politicalnews
--
For more award-winning independent reporting, visit Mother Jones: motherjones.com
Facebook: facebook.com/motherjones
Twitter: twitter.com/motherjones
Instagram: instagram.com/motherjonesmag
► For more, visit Mother Jones: motherjones.com
The Supreme Court ruled this week that construction can move forward on President Trump’s $900 million White House ballroom. But across Washington, the president’s other pet construction projects aren’t going so well.
The Kennedy Center is closed, and its facade is covered with a tarp. The Reflecting Pool is drained and fenced off. The statue garden with sculptures of 250 Americans Trump hoped to complete by July 4 is nonexistent.
Should we even mention the 250-foot arch?
In fairness, the president has successfully fixed two ornamental fountains near the White House—it only cost the National Park Service $17.4 million (through a no-bid contract to Clark Construction) to do it. But they’re nearly impossible for the taxpayers who funded the repair to enjoy since the administration installed 13-foot steel fences around the perimeter of the park the fountains sit in.
Senior Reporter Dan Friedman scootered around the capital on a recent afternoon to check in on the pet projects the president hopes will leave his mark on Washington.
Read the full story: motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/we-toured-trumps-dc-vanity-projects-its-a-mess
Reporting by Dan Friedman
Produced by Peter Berger
#donaldtrump #america250 #reflectingpool #investigativejournalism #governmentspending #taxpayermoney #governmentcontracts #politicalnews
--
For more award-winning independent reporting, visit Mother Jones: motherjones.com
Facebook: facebook.com/motherjones
Twitter: twitter.com/motherjones
Instagram: instagram.com/motherjonesmag
