Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) took a sharp jab at President Donald Trump on Wednesday, accusing him of flaunting a pricey pool renovation while American families grapple with higher costs for gas, groceries, and healthcare.
"Gas prices are up. Food prices are up. Health care costs are up. And Donald Trump is showing off his pool," Warren wrote on X, attaching Trump's own social media post about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Trump had earlier announced on Truth Social that the pool's makeover was nearly complete. "Excitingly, the final coat of protection will be completed on the Reflecting Pool that sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial, at 4 P.M., today," he wrote. "The water will start flowing, shortly thereafter."
The project, which cost $13.1 million, was funded partly by National Park Service visitation fees from 80 sites nationwide. But it's drawn fire from preservationists. The Cultural Landscape Foundation, led by Charles Birnbaum, sued, arguing the blue coating is "altering the historic character" without proper authority.
Trump defended the work as a long-overdue upgrade to the 2,028-foot-long pool, designed by architect Henry Bacon. He claimed it would be the first time since 1922 that the pool "worked wonderfully." However, the pool has undergone several renovations since its dedication.
Warren's critique lands amid real economic pain. AAA data shows regular gasoline at $4.261 per gallon on June 3, up 35.8% from $3.138 a year earlier, though prices have eased slightly from recent weeks. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the food index rose 0.5% in April and 3.2% over the year, with grocery prices up 0.7% monthly and 2.9% annually. Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs jumped 1.3% in April, beef 2.7%, and fruits and vegetables 1.8% (up 6.1% annually).
Healthcare costs are more mixed. The medical-care index fell 0.1% in April, with hospital services down 0.3% — a point Republicans might seize on. But medical care rose 2.5% annually, medical services 3.2%, and physicians' services 0.6% in April.
Warren has repeatedly accused Trump of misplaced priorities, arguing he hasn't delivered on promises to lower costs "on day one." She's also linked the Iran conflict to oil-price pressure and higher essential costs.
So, is Trump's pool post tone-deaf or a justified celebration of a historic renovation? Either way, it's a vivid contrast: a president touting a blue makeover while voters feel the pinch at the pump and the grocery store.
