Trump Promotes Lincoln Reflecting Pool Plan With Unhinged AI Photo - jezebel.com

On May 5, 2026, Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image to Truth Social related to his plan for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The image depicts Trump lounging in a gold inflatable pool float, surrounded by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

What happened

The post appears to promote Trump's plan to overhaul the Reflecting Pool, which he initiated after a visiting friend from Germany called the pool “filthy.” Trump proposed coating the pool’s granite basin with an "industrial-grade" layer in a shade he calls "American flag blue." He claimed to have reduced the renovation cost from an estimated $300 million to $2 million and the project timeline to one week. The post was followed by another AI-generated image of Trump alongside presidents on Mount Rushmore. The Reflecting Pool, built in the 1920s, has been sinking and struggling with circulation issues, requiring multiple repairs but never a full overhaul. Historians and preservationists have criticized the plan, with one calling the Reflecting Pool "hallowed ground" that "shouldn’t resemble a swimming pool."