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Trump’s DC makeover
President Donald Trump has launched a broad “embellishment” push in Washington, DC, including changes tied to the White House and federal control of local policing, while also pursuing major construction projects such as a new White House ballroom.
“the water in the 13-basin fountain has turned into a murky, rust-orange hue”
At a ceremony at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top US officials touted Trump’s efforts to make the city “safe and beautiful,” but less than two weeks later the park’s cascading fountain became a new hurdle when the water turned “murky, rust-orange.”
CNN reported that the Meridian Hill Park fountain had been devoid of water for seven years before the Trump administration repaired and reopened it in May in a $4 million renovation, after which residents flocked to the park in the evenings.
The Interior Department told CNN on Tuesday evening that the brown water at Meridian Hill Park is “sediment as a result of the reopening of two water lines,” and it expected the water to run clean in the next 24 to 36 hours.
CNN also said the Meridian Hill Park fountain is one of nine fountains being returned to service under Trump’s March 2025 executive order calling to make DC “safe and beautiful,” with only one fountain still inoperable when CNN visited.
Fountains, lawsuits, and critics
CNN described how parkgoers at Meridian Hill Park observed a brown color overtaking the reservoirs, with James Langan saying, “It looks like mud,” during a visit to DC.
At the same time, the La République des Pyrénées account said Trump signed a decree imposing that federal buildings, “dans la mesure du possible,” follow a style “classique et traditionnel,” inspired by “la Rome et de la Grèce antiques.”
The CNN report said some residents and visitors welcomed running water despite the coloring, including Washington, DC resident Jedi Sworobuk, who told CNN, “I think it’s nice to have, especially in the heat in the summer.”
CNN also tied the fountain effort to preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary, noting Trump’s March 2025 executive order and the nine fountains being returned to service.
In the La République des Pyrénées piece, British critic Peter York described Trump’s style as “chic dictateur,” while the article also quoted Trump saying, “Je suis doué pour construire des choses,” as he announced the White House ballroom project.
What’s at stake next
CNN said the Meridian Hill Park scramble followed the Reflecting Pool saga in Washington, where Trump called for renovation in April and a more than $14 million project has involved draining, painting, filling and peeling.
“the more than $14 million project has taken on a lifecycle of draining, painting, filling and peeling”
CNN reported that Trump alleged vandals gashed the pool’s lining, and it said that in recent weeks at least three people were charged with destruction of property after allegedly removing pieces of blue paint from the pool.
In parallel, the TF1 Info account said Trump’s administration unveiled plans for a gigantic arch in Washington and that the project would be topped by three gold statues, with the plan filed with the American Commission of Fine Arts.
TF1 Info also said the White House Rose Garden has been paved and that the Kennedy Center cultural center has been renamed Donald Trump Kennedy Center, while it described the White House ballroom construction as having been suspended by a federal judge before another judge allowed resumption.
Across the coverage, the CNN report said the National Park Service stated that work to restore and rehabilitate historic landscapes will occur in phases, warning that the public may experience closures or limited access at certain sites as Trump’s “safe and beautiful” agenda continues.
