Nicolai Haugsted
Trump’s gold-coated statues still incomplete after millions more spent.
Fresh attention has turned to another high-profile project backed by Donald Trump after restoration work near the Lincoln Memorial slipped past its original deadline and saw its price tag soar.
The latest renovation centers on a group of historic equestrian statues that the president ordered to be covered in 24-karat gold as part of the celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary. Months after Trump predicted the work would be finished, large sections of the site remain hidden behind scaffolding.
Gold statues cost far more than expected
The Arts of War and Arts of Peace sculptures, originally created in bronze by Leo Friedlander and James Earle Fraser, stand between the Lincoln Memorial and Memorial Circle, close to the location where Trump has proposed building a monumental arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
According to reports, the gilding project was initially expected to cost around $2.5 million. That figure has since climbed to roughly $5 million after the administration awarded the work through a no-bid contract to Maryland-based company The Gilders’ Studio.
Trump promoted the project on Truth Social in June, writing:
“The Gilders’ Studio has flown in Gilders from around the Country to perform this work!”
He also promised the statues would be “fully re-gilded” by July 3.
Workers have only recently begun removing the scaffolding. One statue is now visible, while the remaining sculptures are still either partially or completely covered.
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Reflecting Pool remains closed
Construction activity continues elsewhere around the Lincoln Memorial.
The Reflecting Pool, which underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation ordered by the administration, remains empty while crews attempt to resolve lingering problems that reportedly include leaks, algae growth and damage to the pool lining.
Security fencing around the landmark has been expanded with dark screening, additional surveillance cameras have appeared throughout the National Mall and National Guard personnel continue to patrol the area.
Officials from the National Park Service were unable to say when the Reflecting Pool would reopen or when it would be refilled with water.
Anniversary projects continue
Despite the ongoing construction work, preparations for America’s 250th anniversary remain underway.
A temporary memorial honoring U.S. service members opened this week between the Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool, while visitors can also see what appears to be the administration’s newly promoted “American flag blue” finish inside the drained pool.
The gold-plated statues form part of a broader collection of anniversary projects that have accompanied Trump’s plans to reshape several of Washington’s best-known landmarks ahead of the national celebrations.
