President Donald Trump announced the completion of a new series of beautification renovations to Washington, D.C’s Meridian Park statues, pools, and fountains in accordance with his executive order titled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful,” to improve the aesthetic appeal of Washington in honor of America 250 celebrations.
The president’s series of Truth Social posts highlighted the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the George Mason Memorial fountain, the Joan of Arc statue, and the Dante Memorial Statue. While the statues were polished, both the FDR Memorial and the George Mason Memorial Fountain received infrastructure repairs.
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“Following five years of no repairs, the fountains and pools at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial were recently rehabilitated,” Trump shared. “More than 100,000 gallons of water flow through the seven unique granite fountains and pools at the memorial, and the fountains’ mechanical systems—as well as the surrounding plaza, including the large sidewalk pavers—were all repaired.”
Trump additionally mentioned that the George Mason Memorial fountain had gone eight years since its last repairs.
The Joan of Arc statue in Meridian Park in Washington, D.C. received a polishing in accordance to Trump’s Executive Order 14252 “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” Image posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. 
The George Mason Memorial fountain in Meridian Park in Washington, D.C. received a renovation in accordance to Trump’s Executive Order 14252 “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” Image posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. 
The George Mason Memorial fountain in Meridian Park in Washington, D.C. received a renovation in accordance to Trump’s Executive Order 14252 “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” Image posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. 
The Dante Memorial Statue in Meridian Park in Washington, D.C. received a polishing in accordance to Trump’s Executive Order 14252 “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” Image posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. 
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Meridian Park in Washington, D.C. received a renovation in accordance to Trump’s Executive Order 14252 “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” Image posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. 
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Meridian Park in Washington, D.C. received a renovation in accordance to Trump’s Executive Order 14252 “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” Image posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. 
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Meridian Park in Washington, D.C. received a renovation in accordance to Trump’s Executive Order 14252 “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” Image posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. 
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Meridian Park in Washington, D.C. received a renovation in accordance to Trump’s Executive Order 14252 “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” Image posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social.
The president’s series of Truth Social posts credits “Greg Wischer at the United States Department of the Interior” regarding information on the updates. Wischer is a consultant in the critical minerals space who was tapped to serve as the Interior Department’s deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management in March 2025.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Interior Department for further information on the renovation costs and timelines for other city beautification projects.
Trump’s beautification projects include repairing over 20 fountains, repainting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and refurbishing around 30 statues and monuments throughout the district.
The sweeping overhaul of the White House and the capital has been hailed by allies as beautification, while critics say it is costly and unnecessary.
The agency completed a $16 million restoration of Malcolm X Park, officially known as Meridian Hill Park, earlier this year, bringing water back to the park’s iconic 13-basin, 300-foot cascading fountain for the first time after a yearslong shutdown. The project included installing new pumps, waterproofing and cast-iron piping, restoring the lower plaza, rehabilitating the park’s upper lawns, and repairing other historic landmarks.
The cascading fountain in the park turned a murky brown, just months after it reopened as part of Trump’s initiative.
The National Park Service said the discoloration was caused by sediment released as water began flowing through pipes that had been out of service for years following the fountain’s restoration.
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The Interior Department has also grappled with problems at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following a $16.4 million renovation project that recoated the pool floor in an “American flag blue” color. The National Park Service has repeatedly drained the pool following an algae bloom, the peeling pool coating appeared, and the pool’s caulk over the foam sealant and the pool’s new liner were reportedly cut with a sharp knife or razor.
The Trump administration initially blamed the damage on vandalism. A Washington judge dismissed the felony vandalism charges after U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro moved to dismiss them and said the damage was the “result of flawed installation by the contractor.”
According to a late-May analysis from the New York Times, the Trump administration is using at least $67 million in National Park Service entrance fees to fund the district beautification efforts. A recent Washington Post analysis based on internal NPS documents estimates the costs at $76 million.
