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  "path": "/post/210683/donald-trump-golf-club-manager-reflecting-pool-renovation",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-19T19:15:14.000Z",
  "site": "https://newrepublic.com",
  "tags": [
    "Breaking News",
    "Politics",
    "Republican Party",
    "Donald Trump",
    "Construction",
    "Reflecting Pool",
    "New Jersey",
    "trump golf clubs",
    "The New York Times",
    "$13.1 million"
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  "textContent": "The general manager of the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, has his hands in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s renovation.\n\nDavid Schutzenhofer has run Donald Trump’s golf club since 2006, and is effectively consulting on the historic renovation as well as recruiting contractors to the job, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Schutzenhofer has no known training in engineering or architecture, according to the daily.\n\n“Mr. Schutzenhofer is unpaid and is volunteering his time to offer suggestions on this project because he is an American patriot,” Katie Martin, a spokeswoman for the Interior Department, told the _Times_ in an email.\n\nMartin specified that Schutzenhofer had provided guidance on the project without becoming a temporary government employee, which, she said, would have required additional ethics training and a pledge to avoid conflicts of interest. She added that Schutzenhofer did not “direct” any federal contracts.\n\nThe Interior Department did not elaborate on the specifics of Schutzenhofer’s role with the renovation, which is expected to cost upwards of $13.1 million (Trump had initially promised the restoration’s price tag would hover around $1.8 million).\n\nThe White House also dodged answering questions regarding Schutzenhofer’s involvement. In an email, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the _Times_ : “Thanks to President Trump, the Reflecting Pool will be restored to its proper glory!”\n\nFixing the Reflecting Pool is a headache that’s plagued pretty much every administration since its construction in 1923.\n\nWhat makes the Reflecting Pool beautiful is exactly what makes it so difficult to maintain. The pool’s expansive length is possible due to the use of multiple large concrete slabs as its bottom. But those slabs are also prone to serious, structural leaks, which requires the White House to replace roughly 16 million gallons of water each year.\n\nBut the pool’s shallow depth—which creates its mirror-like appearance—also detracts from the pool’s health by creating a breeding ground for algae blooms that turn the water green.\n\nThe solution, according to Trump, is to paint the bottom of the pool a color that he has described as “American flag blue” ahead of the country’s semiquincentennial anniversary.\n\nUnfortunately for taxpayers, the pricey makeover is unlikely to fix the pool’s fundamental problems.",
  "title": "Trump Gives Golf Club Manager Key Role in Reflecting-Pool Renovation"
}