Donald J.Trump threatens new lawsuit against ABC News over Reflecting Pool coverage

claims ABC failed to report past administrations spent over $100 million on the Reflecting Pool and says he will sue the network for false reporting.

WHITE HOUSE — Donald J.Trump announced he is preparing lawsuits against ABC News over its coverage of vandalism at the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., on a Truth Social post on June 22, 2026 at 7:09 PM EST.

Here is the full post (see truthsocial): “In describing the Vandalism that took place at the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., ABC FAKE NEWS, one of the worst in the business, even paying me $16,000,000 for past bad and inaccurate reporting, failed to report that their close “friends,” Dumocrats Obama and Biden, spent over 100 Million Dollars on the Reflecting Pool, and it never worked. In fact, it was rarely open do to leaks and “stench.” They wanted to spend 300 to 400 Million Dollars, but just let it ROT. I spent approximately 16 Million Dollars, and it came out great, except for the Vandalism, which we are now fixing. It was also a much bigger job than originally envisioned, including the outer areas and sidewalks. We are preparing lawsuits against ABC for false reporting. I like their money, which will be given to the U.S. Treasury! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT”

Trump alleged that ABC News failed to note prior spending by the Obama and Biden administrations on the Reflecting Pool, which he said exceeded $100 million yet never produced a working result. He claimed the pool “was rarely open” because of leaks and odor problems, and that those administrations had considered spending $300 million to $400 million before abandoning the project.

Trump said his own administration spent about $16 million on the pool renovation and described the result as successful apart from recent vandalism. He said the scope of work grew beyond the original plan to include surrounding areas and sidewalks, and that crews are now repairing damage from the vandalism.

The threat of legal action against ABC News follows a prior settlement in which the network paid Trump $16 million to resolve a defamation claim. Trump referenced that payment in his post, calling ABC “one of the worst in the business” for what he described as past inaccurate reporting. He said any money won from the new lawsuits would go to the U.S. Treasury.

Vandalism targeting public monuments and landmarks has drawn national attention in recent years. Incidents of destruction at churches, memorials, and government properties have been documented across multiple states (see dailysignal.com). The specific vandalism Trump referenced at the Reflecting Pool has not been detailed in his post beyond the assertion that it occurred and that repairs are underway.

In the last 30 days, 1 of 639 Trump posts were on the topic of media and self-promotion, including 1 on the sub-topic of fake news media and mainstream press.

Source: Zenger analysis
Note: Table generated by NewsFindr on June 22, 2026 at 7:13 PM EST

Source: NewsFindr Chart Maker
Note: Chart generated by NewsFindr on June 22, 2026 at 7:13 PM EST