HOW THE HELL does that cost $16 MILLION?!?!

[Jeebo]

Some of these figures that are coming out of that orange con man's regime bewilder and perplex me.

HOW THE HELL does it cost SIXTEEN MILLION U.S. DOLLARS to paint the bottom of a pool and fill it up with water?

HOW THE HELL does it cost HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS to build a ballroom?

HOW THE HELL does it cost ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS to "retrofit" (whatever that means) an already flying plane?

These people who are running this country are not only grifters, con artists, crookeder than a dog's hind leg, corrupt to their very core, they are also world-class wastrels and spendthrifts. And they are the ones who were relentlessly criticizing Obama because of the cost of his Secret Service protection while his family was on vacation.

— Ron

[maxsolomon]

1. Construction is really expensive.

I'm not saying 16 million is the correct number, but Construction costs have escalated astronomically since the Pandemic.

[dave99]

9. maybe 10%

[PatSeg]

16. I read an article about the maintenance

and repairs on the Reflecting Pool and actually it is very complex and expensive. More money was spent during the Obama administration - $34 million to upgrade filtration systems, add pilings, and replace the floor. Meanwhile there were still problems with leaking, an ongoing issue from the beginning.

That said however, it appears this company with the no bid contract does not have the expertise or qualifications for such an undertaking. Also the paint was ridiculous. Not to mention Trump's over-the-top reaction to all this has been bizarre.

I'll see if I can find the article I referenced.

Edit to add link to NYT's article (Gift article) on the Reflecting Pool:

What’s Actually Wrong With the Reflecting Pool
And why President Trump’s repairs have not addressed a major underlying problem.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/05/31/us/trump-reflecting-pool-problems.html?unlocked_article_code=1.slA.91Pq.JfPHxIuBpTSl&smid=url-share

[orthoclad]

18. Especially since the laborers were deported.

[orthoclad]

2. It's like those $900 hammers

in the mil budget. Gotta hide the black money somehow.

[TxGuitar]

14. Not hammers

Multi Directional Impact Generators"

[struggle4progress]

3. It's almost enough to make a suspicous person wonder whether there are record high levels of corruption

[miyazaki]

4. It doesn't, unless your the greatest con artist in human history. nt

[Mr.Bee]

5. Because he likes spending money

that isn't his!

[Evolve Dammit]

6. Graft, corruption and no-bid contracts to enrich your friends?

[dflprincess]

7. Kickbacks to Trump

Can be very expensive.

[Escape]

8. Construction IS expensive...

and therefore, I could see this job costing as much as $200,000. I have been a licensed building contractor for more than 40 years.

[Bumbles]

11. I think I read sarcasm in your response.

He should have contacted you first.

[Permanut]

10. Funny thing about "costs"..

The money goes out of someone's pocket and into someone else's.

[Billsdaughter]

12. This regime is laundering money and

the grift won't end until the next administration. Straight out of the Putin playbook or OZARK. Folks, we are gonna be flat broke.

[AverageOldGuy]

13. Trump insists on only the best . . .

. . . cheap decorations from Home Depot, spray-painted gold, and slapped on the walls with super glue.

Quality costs a lot, you see.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

15. Its a big pool

[VGNonly]

17. I remember a corrupt civil war era

financier said something like "You can charge the government any amount that you have the guts to ask". His name escapes me.