CNN panel erupts over Trump’s $13M Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation after DOGE-era cuts
The multimillion-dollar price tag on President Donald Trump Renovation of the Lincoln Memorial The Reflecting Pool left panelists on CNN’s “Table of Five” on Saturday at odds over whether the project was a justified investment in the nation’s capital or a sign of misplaced priorities.
Host Abby Phillip questioned the $13 million cost of repairs to the Reflecting Pool, as well as other renovations in D.C., incurred so far. Overhaul in the East Wing of the White House and the re-gilding of the statues surrounding the Lincoln Memorial.
Blue protective coating is applied to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during renovations in Washington on May 29, 2026.
(AP Images)
“Does the president have monopoly money at this point? We just went through DOGE, you know, they fired a bunch of federal employees who claimed every penny mattered, and now nothing matters?”
New York Post columnist Lydia Moynihan debunked this claim, citing the value of making Washington safer and more beautiful and comparing Trump’s aesthetic resurfacing of the pool to the former President. Barack Obama’s $35 million reconstruction effort.
“These are pennies when you consider that Democrats are proposing to spend trillions of dollars. [on]” he said.
“There are things we do every day; finding fraud, TrumpRx… There are all kinds of good policies like that that he’s implemented, and we’re not talking about those in this program.”
Watch: Trump Reveals Flashy New Color for National Mall’s Reflective Pool Design
Workers continue to apply blue protective coating to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on May 30, 2026.
At this point, an argument broke out in the panel, with guests talking to each other. Journalist Touré says Trump’s federal government I couldn’t afford child carethe high cost of gas and the rising cost of war with Iran.
“Why would we do these things when we are at war and our economy is collapsing?” he asked.
“If you can’t see that one is a trillion and the other is literally 13 million… So we should just let it all go to hell?” Moynihan responded. “So we shouldn’t fix our roads because it costs a lot of money?”
CNN Liberal Panelist Argues Billions Spent on Defense Should Go to Health Insurance Instead
Touré responded by saying that this was “clearly not the other side of this dilemma” before Phillip regained control of the table, stating that it comes down to priorities and that the American people are asking themselves who and what Trump is prioritizing.
Click Here to Download Fox News App
“At the end of the day, this 250th anniversary of the USA It is a good thing that we are prioritizing making D.C. safe, healthy and attractive,” said former Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer.
“Unfortunately, we have a The hole where the East Wing is located “It was, wasn’t it?” replied journalist John Avlon.
Original article source: CNN panel explodes over Trump’s $13 million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation after DOGE-era cuts
