Jimmy Fallon roasted President Donald Trump over his plans to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “American flag blue,” joking that the shade he selected looked more like an IHOP roof.
The president, 79, ordered the controversial renovation of the historic site last month as part of a broader “beautification” of Washington, D.C.
Virginia-based contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings has been tasked with repainting the pool floor “American flag blue,” a shade Trump said he personally selected.
Late-night host Fallon mocked a photo the president previously shared on Truth Social that shows his vision for the reflecting pool. Fallon joked that the shade of blue that Trump chose looked less like the blue on the American flag, and more like the bright blue color scheme of restaurant chain International House of Pancakes (IHOP).
“The president just started his latest renovation project, painting the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool American flag blue,” he said on his show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night.
“Yep, and he posted a photo of what it would look like. Check this out,” Fallon said, showing his audience the photo Trump posted on Truth Social, side by side with the blue part of the American flag.
“Yeah. I don’t know, that’s less American flag and more roof of the IHOP,” the late-night host joked, posting another side-by-side comparison of Trump’s vision for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the roof of the popular pancake house restaurant chain.
“Between the Rose Garden remodel, the ballroom, and a new pool, I’m pretty sure Trump’s trying to flip the White House,” Fallon added.
Trump’s round of aggressive renovations began when he returned to the White House for a second term last year. He has gilded the Oval Office with rococo mirrors, gold medallions, and eagle figurines, erected oversized flagpoles on the grounds, and announced plans to build a triumphal arch across from the Lincoln Memorial—a so-called “Arc de Trump.”
The president has sparked uproar for his costly plans to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which is expected to be completed in late 2028, coinciding with the end of his term in office.
On Tuesday, Trump scrambled to defend his plans to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, after the New York Times revealed it would cost a lot more than he initially promised.
The president initially claimed the work would cost just $1.8 million. In a furious Truth Social tirade, he revised that figure upward to “5 or 6” million dollars. But The New York Times reported that the Interior Department plans to pay $13.1 million to Atlantic Industrial Coatings.
Shortly later, the publication dealt a fresh blow to the president after it cited government documents suggesting the project is behind schedule, won’t meet a May 22 completion deadline, and has been plagued by repair issues.
The documents reportedly showed that bubbles and small holes had appeared in one of the waterproofing layers being sprayed onto the pool, raising concerns that the material was not adhering properly.
Officials also flagged problems with the uneven application of the pool’s newly selected “American flag blue” paint shade, leaving parts of the reflecting pool “mottled” in different shades of blue.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
