Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Andrew Feinberg

The price tag for Donald Trump’s Washington makeover just topped $1 billion

Donald Trump Washington D.C.
  • Donald Trump's extensive architectural projects across Washington, D.C., are projected to cost taxpayers over a billion dollars, despite his repeated claims that they would be privately funded.
  • The planned White House ballroom, initially estimated at $ 200 million and promised to be donor-funded, has seen its cost escalate to $600 million, with federal funds, including from the Secret Service budget, redirected to cover expenses.
  • A renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, intended as a cheap fix, ultimately cost over $14.8 million and failed shortly after completion, leading to significant maintenance issues.
  • Other initiatives include the National Garden of American Heroes, funded by congressional allocations and cultural endowments, and the fortification of Lafayette Park, whose contract for fountain repairs ballooned to $17.4 million.
  • Trump is also pursuing a controversial 250-foot "Triumphal Arch" at Memorial Circle, which faces public opposition and legal challenges, alongside a $5 million project to gild statues on the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

IN FULL

Trump’s $1.2B DC makeover is draping the capital in tarps and gold — and draining Americans’ pockets

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Not so terrible, after all – 2-year-olds just want to be independent
A 2-year-old is lying on the floor yelling, with their socks pulled off after spending 15 minutes trying to get them on in the first place.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Illinois woman flirts with man outside Family Dollar. Then he says his Toyota Camry killed the mood: ‘Don’t ignore that red flag’
The flirting took an unexpected turn.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Maryland Woman pulled something ‘hazardous’ from her Red Lobster meal and nearly swallowed it. They tried to fix the unfixable, with a $100 gift card
She spat it out right away.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Psychology says people who hoard hotel toiletries aren't just collecting free things, they may not want to miss out on the pleasure of feeling special
Research suggests that collecting these toiletries is usually less about saving money and more about how the brain processes rewards, possessions, and travel experiences. Psychology says people who take complimentary hotel toiletries home are often responding to common cognitive biases rather than revealing a particular personality trait.
The Economic Times
The Economic Times
Psychology says people who sleep with one leg outside the blanket aren't weird, they may just be trying to regulate their body temperature
Psychology says people who sleep with one leg outside the blanket are usually responding to body temperature regulation. Whether someone sleeps fully covered or always lets one leg escape the blanket, these habits are generally part of normal sleep behavior.
The Economic Times
The Economic Times
North Carolina woman breaks down at Goodwill after recognizing her own artwork on a jacket. She made it by hand for a friend: ‘I’m calling mom’
Was the friend right to give away the jacket?
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play