WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump often emphasizes his real estate development experience. More than a year into his second term, he has increasingly pursued projects designed to create enduring physical changes across the capital.

He has removed the White House East Wing to add a ballroom, paved the Rose Garden, proposed a 250-foot victory arch, renamed the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after himself before closing it for updates, and requested designs for improving public golf courses in the city.

Trump recently directed an urgent renovation of the National Mall Reflecting Pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

The Reflecting Pool work has drawn notice mainly for plans to coat the base in American Flag Blue.

During a May 27 Cabinet meeting, Trump voiced enthusiasm for construction and pool projects. He described the effort as significant and suggested possible work on the nearby World War II Memorial fountain.

Critics have condemned the changes, arguing they would convert a revered monument into a swimming pool.

Plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking to halt the project, representing landscape architects, stated that the Reflecting Pool forms part of an iconic landscape that has shaped the capital for over a century. They warned the work would leave a lasting mark on the National Mall. The case continues.

Since beginning the project, Trump has overstated the pool size, timeline, and costs while shifting statements about the lead contractor. Here are checks on several recent comments.

The Reflecting Pool is longer than the tallest building in the world if laid on its side, and nearly 200 feet wide. - Trump at a May 27 Cabinet meeting

The statement stretches facts in both aspects.

The rectangular pool measures 2,028 feet long. If ranked as a skyscraper, it would stand fourth worldwide according to the Skyscraper Center list. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai leads at 2,717 feet, followed by Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur at 2,227 feet and Shanghai Tower at 2,073 feet.

The pool width is 167 feet.

The Reflecting Pool repairs will take about two weeks. - Trump at May 7 and May 11 White House events

Trump often provides two-week timelines that do not hold. The same pattern appears here.

More than three weeks have passed since the initial estimate, and the site remains closed. Trump noted that additional work beyond the original scope was completed.

On the afternoon of May 27, the entire pool length appeared covered in black material, with trucks and equipment operating. Black fencing surrounded the perimeter.

On May 18, the Trump administration stated in a court filing that the project would finish and the pool would refill in the coming weeks. During the May 27 Cabinet meeting, Trump said the work was about 70 percent complete and would open in a couple of weeks.

We decided to do much more than we originally planned, Trump said. I thought I was just going to do the surface, but we saw the outer ring where people walk also looked worn, so we sandblasted that area.

The federal government will fix the pool for about 1.8 million dollars. - Trump on May 7 in remarks to reporters

Many homeowners recognize this common remodeling experience: project costs have grown.

On May 7 Trump said of the Reflecting Pool, We had estimates to fix it of about 355 million dollars and it was going to take 3.5 years given its size. We will complete it for about 1.8 million dollars and it will take one week.

The New York Times reported that in April the federal government issued a no-bid contract under an exemption for urgent situations. Trump wants the work finished for July 4 anniversary events.

The Times reported in May that costs had risen to 13.1 million dollars after adding 6.2 million dollars. Federal contract records show an Interior Department award to Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings to paint the pool.

Trump has acknowledged the higher costs as the project expanded. I originally thought I would do it for 2 million or 3 million dollars, just the base, Trump said May 21. But now we are also fixing the exterior, so we will probably spend less than 20 million dollars.

The Trump administration was asked for documents supporting the earlier 355 million dollar estimate but did not respond to that request. An Interior Department spokesperson instead criticized former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

The Obama administration spent 35 million dollars, according to a federal contract, to address leaks and algae. The effort did not succeed, and the pool remained green with ongoing leaks.

Chuck Sams, National Park Service director under Biden, told CNN the service had received an estimate above 100 million dollars but did not proceed.

On whether Trump knew the contractor overhauling the Reflecting Pool

Trump has offered conflicting accounts about his knowledge of the contractor.

The Interior Department spokesperson did not directly answer whether Trump knew Atlantic Industrial Coatings and stated the company was the only one with the needed expertise, staff, and materials to finish on schedule.

The White House told PolitiFact that Trump has no personal relationship with the contractor but knew of the company's work.

PolitiFact left a message with Atlantic Industrial Coatings and received no reply.

Trump has given varying descriptions of his connection to the contractor:

April 23 video: I said we are going to call all three of these people who have worked for me in the past doing swimming pools.
At another event the same day, Trump said he told Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, I have a guy who is unbelievable at doing swimming pools. Up the road we have a club with an Olympic size pool he did 20 years ago and it remains perfect. So I asked them to send my contractor to look. He called and said sir we can do something on it. He said it is perfect actually but really decaying and in terrible condition.
May 4 White House small business summit: So I have some very good contractors, one or two in particular. I sent the two of them, actually the three best. I said do me a favor fellows go take a look at the reflecting pool between Lincoln and Washington, the beautiful reflecting pool.
May 12 Truth Social post: Also I did not give out the contract, Interior did, to a contractor I did not know and have never used before.