
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration is considering the creation of a new pedestrian promenade connecting the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River, a project that could ultimately bear his name and become one of the most visible additions to Washington’s landscape.
Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump revealed the proposal for the first time, explaining that the new walkway would extend from the iconic memorial honoring President Abraham Lincoln down to the riverfront.
“They want to call it the Trump Promenade,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he unveiled the project for the first time. “I don’t know if I want to do that, but it’s going to be beautiful.”
The announcement came as workers completed another major project championed by Trump: the refurbishment of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial. Water was being pumped back into the pool on Thursday as the renovation neared completion.
For the second consecutive day, Trump also highlighted a chart titled “Our Pool is Bigger than Skyscrapers,” which compares the dimensions of the Reflecting Pool to several well-known skyscrapers.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has launched an extensive effort to reshape and renovate prominent landmarks across the nation’s capital. The initiatives include upgrades to monuments, plans to replace the White House East Wing with a new ballroom, and the proposed construction of a massive triumphal arch.
The president has also sought to leave a more personal imprint on Washington, including efforts to associate his name with several cultural and civic institutions, among them the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Among his various projects, however, the proposal involving the Lincoln Memorial may prove the most consequential. The idea would not only alter access to one of America’s most revered monuments but could also attach Trump’s name to a section of the site.
Trump said the plan would restore an element of the memorial’s original design. According to him, the 1911 vision for the monument envisioned a direct connection between the memorial and the Potomac River, but the area was later divided by major roadways.
“It’s going to take the Lincoln Memorial right down to the Potomac, which it was always scheduled to do,” Trump said.
“We have a way of beautifully going over those two roads, the highways.”
Despite the administration’s ambitions, several of Trump’s high-profile projects have encountered resistance, and time is becoming an increasingly significant factor as his second and final term enters its latter half.
The Reflecting Pool renovation, which temporarily closed one of Washington’s most visited attractions, has drawn criticism over both its price tag and the manner in which the contract was awarded.
In another setback, a federal judge ruled last month that Trump’s name must be removed from the Kennedy Center.
Following that ruling, the Kennedy Center’s legal team reportedly instructed employees to eliminate references to Trump’s name from signage, printed materials, the organization’s website, and other official communications.
Trump’s planned White House ballroom has also faced obstacles. While the president has repeatedly stated that the project’s estimated $400 million cost will be covered by private donors and his own contributions, Republicans recently abandoned a separate proposal that would have allocated up to $1 billion for Secret Service security enhancements tied to the ballroom project, including a planned rooftop “drone pad.”