A nonprofit sues to halt Trump’s 'American flag blue' repaint of the Reflecting Pool

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Washington-based nonprofit is asking a judge to force the Trump administration to stop work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and restore historic elements at one of the most iconic spots on the National Mall.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, The Cultural Landscape Foundation said the administration's moves to repaint the bottom of the Reflecting Pool blue without undergoing relevant reviews ran afoul to federal preservation laws governing historic sites. The group argued that the changes at the Reflecting Pool are part of President Donald Trump's broader effort to push through dramatic renovations in Washington without proper reviews and undermine the tone of the area.

"The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial,” said Charles A. Birnbaum, the group's president and CEO, said in a statement. “A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”

Trump has taken a personal interest in the project, calling the area “filthy” before workers repainted the Reflecting Pool a color he has called “American flag blue.” His motorcade was driven over a drained and repainted Reflecting Pool last week to give him a chance for a firsthand review of the project.

The suit was filed against the Interior Department and the National Park Service, which oversee much of the renovations underway in Washington. Katie Martin, an Interior Department spokeswoman, said in a statement that Trump “has done more to make our nation’s capital a shining beacon than any other president in the history of this country.”

“The Department is proud of the work being carried out by our Park Service to ensure this magical spot can be enjoyed for not only our 250th, but for many generations to come,” she said.

Over the past year, Trump has bulldozed the East Wing to make way for a ballroom. His name was added to the facades of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center, which he plans to close for a two-year renovation. His face adorns a banner at the Department of Justice’s headquarters, among others. He is pushing for a triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery and has closed parks, including Lafayette Square across from the White House, for a rehab.

Many of those projects are also subject to litigation.

President Donald Trump speaks as he visits the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to see the new blue protective coating being applied as part of a renovation project, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump talks as he visits the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to see the new blue protective coating being applied as part of a renovation project, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The motorcade with President Donald Trump drives in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as he arrives to to see the new blue protective coating being applied as part of a renovation project, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump talks as he visits the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to see the new blue protective coating being applied as part of a renovation project, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Workers apply a blue protective coating as part of a renovation project to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Friday, May 8, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A new wave of gang violence in Haiti has forced hundreds of people to flee their homes, leaving them scattered on Monday along a road leading to Haiti's main airport.

Monique Verdieux, 56 fled to the highway after watching armed men burning houses in her neighborhood. Her family scattered in different directions and she said she's not sure where they are.

“I am now sleeping in the street,” Verdieux said, noting it was unsafe to return.

The clashes between gangs erupted over the weekend across several northern neighborhoods in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, pushing the displaced on a road leading to Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

Gangs have overtaken more than 90% of Port-au-Prince since the assassination of President Jovenal Moïse in July 2021 at his home. Police say they have expanded their activities — including looting, kidnapping, sexual assaults and rape — into the countryside. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination.

For the past two weeks, Haitian rum maker Barbancourt and two of the nation's largest bottlers have warned about deteriorating security conditions near Port-au-Prince's international airport, where operations are now severely restricted.

In a statement released on Sunday, the companies said that the government's response to the crisis has been “largely insufficient,” and noted that the poor state of the roads leading to the airport makes it difficult for Haitian security forces to patrol the area. The companies are among Haiti’s main fiscal contributors.

“You cannot secure an airport if you allow the roads around it to degrade,” the statement read.

In April, the first foreign troops linked to a U.N. force arrived in Haiti to help quell ongoing violence.

The U.N. Security Council in late September approved a plan to authorize a 5,550-member force, which has not fully arrived in the island nation. An unknown number of troops from Chad have so far been deployed.

A report published earlier this year by the International Organization for Migration found that gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people in Haiti, with approximately 200,000 of them now living in crowded and underfunded sites in the nation's capital.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Children stand next to police officers during a visit from World Food Programme advisor Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)