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Trump-linked Firm Gets $14M Reflecting Pool Contract, Guarded Amid Detentions

6/21/2026

35 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Reflecting Pool renovation jumped from a promised $1.8 million job to a $14 million no-bid contract awarded to a firm linked to U.S. President Donald Trump.
National Guard troops guarded the algae-filled pool as United States Park Police gave no arrest updates.
Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn said he was detained for five hours after touching a peeling coating piece, prompting critics to decry the expense of guarding a filthy pond.

History

Historical Context

In 2003 the U.S. Department of Defense awarded Halliburton’s KBR a $580 million contingency contract for Iraq reconstruction, a deal critics called a no-bid award that later faced $263 million in disputed costs. That episode mirrors today’s no-bid contract for the Reflecting Pool renovation, reviving long-standing worries that politically linked procurements inflate public spending.

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Story summary

The Reflecting Pool renovation jumped from a promised $1.8 million job to a $14 million no-bid contract awarded to a firm linked to U.S. President Donald Trump.
National Guard troops guarded the algae-filled pool as United States Park Police gave no arrest updates.
Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn said he was detained for five hours after touching a peeling coating piece, prompting critics to decry the expense of guarding a filthy pond.

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