Company Owned by Trump Donor Wins $1.7M No-Bid Contract to Clean Algae-Filled Reflecting Pool

Memeorandum—A company owned by a Trump campaign donor was awarded a $1.7 million no-bid government contract to clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which made headlines after it turned bright green with algae this spring, CBS News reported. The contract was awarded without competitive bidding, raising ethics questions about procurement favoritism. Trump himself drew attention to the situation by calling out ABC's Jonathan Karl in a combative exchange, blaming vandals for the pool's condition while his administration quietly awarded the contract to an ally. Federal procurement rules allow no-bid contracts under certain emergency circumstances, but critics noted the algae problem had been visible for weeks before the contract was issued. The story combines elements of environmental neglect, political cronyism allegations, and press-relations combat that have characterized several Trump second-term controversies.

• Memeorandum — Trump donor's firm won $1.7M no-bid Reflecting Pool contract
• Hindustan Times — Trump attacked ABC's Jonathan Karl over the Reflecting Pool story, blaming vandals for the algae bloom
• CBS News — A Trump donor's firm received the $1.7M no-bid deal to clean the Reflecting Pool without a competitive process