US Politics
Trump’s NJ golf club manager is helping with renovations for the reflecting pool
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The general manager of President Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf club is helping with the renovations for the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
The overhaul of Trump’s latest passion project in Washington, D.C., is in full swing, with the president sharing photos of a sample test for its resurfacing on social media Saturday.
“I’ve made this a much larger job than originally contemplated for purposes of Beauty, and a much longer life,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
One of those behind the project is Trump Organization employee David Schutzenhofer, as first reported by The New York Times. Schutzenhofer has overseen the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster since 2006.
“Mr. Schutzenhofer is unpaid and is volunteering his time to offer suggestions on this project because he is an American patriot,” an Interior Department spokesperson told The Independent.
When reached for comment about Schutzenhofer’s involvement in the project, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told The Independent, “Thanks to President Trump, the Reflecting Pool will be restored to its proper glory!
“The restoration effort will be completed ahead of America’s 250th celebrations and for a fraction of the cost that the former Presidents Obama and Biden squandered only to worsen its condition.”
The Independent has reached out to the Trump Organization for comment.
The Interior Department spokesperson made it clear that Schutzenhofer, whom the agency described as a “world-renowned leader in the hospitality industry,” is not acting as a federal employee or directing government contracts.
But The NYT has reported that Schutzenhofer helped recruit Ohio-based contractor Greenwater Services for the project.
Schutzenhofer spoke with the Greenwater Services CEO Al George about the possibility that the government would hire the water-purification company to treat the reflecting pool, emails obtained by the publication indicated.
Last month, Greenwater received a $1.7 million contract to help with the project, according to government records.
Trump took a surprise visit to the reflecting pool earlier this month, where he met with an adoring crew.
The president jokingly asked the workers, “Who didn’t vote for Trump, anybody?”
His question was met with friendly laughter, with one worker saying, “We’re from Oklahoma.” Trump won Oklahoma in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, receiving more than 65 percent of the vote each time.
In his Truth Social post Saturday, Trump said the renovations should be complete before July 4.
Trump has taken on several projects to beautify the White House and the surrounding D.C. area as he sees fit, while Americans struggle with soaring gas prices and high inflation.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Trump’s giant “triumphal arch” was under evaluation for potential risks to flights near the bustling Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The proposed 250-foot arch would be built at the end of Arlington Memorial Bridge, across from the Lincoln Memorial. It will be topped with a golden winged figure with a Lady Liberty-style torch and a crown flanked by two gilded eagles.
On Tuesday, Trump held an impromptu press conference from the construction site of his “drone-proof” White House ballroom.
“If a drone hits it, it bounces off,” the president claimed. The ballroom is estimated to cost about $400 million, excluding security modifications.