President Trump has publicly criticized ABC for its coverage of the financial aspects of repairing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, alleging that the network failed to mention over $100 million spent by previous administrations, specifically citing Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
However, evidence supporting Trump's claim is lacking, as previous reports indicate that the Obama administration's expenditures were around $35 million, with no significant repairs attributed to the Biden administration. Trump also alleged vandalism as a cause for damage to the pool, although no evidence has been provided to substantiate this claim.
The reported cost for repainting the pool has risen to over $14.65 million, exceeding initial estimates by more than $4 million. ABC's reporting included a $1.74 million contract for a company to install a system to manage algae, which was also awarded without competitive bidding.
This legal threat comes amid broader scrutiny of ABC, including investigations by the Federal Communications Commission, which has requested early renewal applications for several of its local broadcasting licenses. ABC has responded by launching a campaign to bolster viewer support following these challenges