The cost of President Donald Trump‘s repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has skyrocketed from $1.8 million to $13.1 million under a no-bid contract issued by the administration.

In a video posted on Truth Social last month, Trump claimed that the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool was in “terrible shape.”

He then promised to renovate the reflecting pool, explaining his decision to coat its floor in “American-flag blue.” He said that the coating would last for 30 to 40 years.

Initially, Trump claimed the cost would be $1.8 million to repaint the pool, waterproof its bottom and fix its leaking joints. However, filings issued last Friday and cited by the New York Times revealed the cost is set to hit $13.1 million.

Last week, the Interior Department included $6.2 million in the existing $6.9 million contract.

The repairs are being maintained by a Virginia firm, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which was awarded a no-bid contract last month.

The company already repaired swimming pools at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., located in Sterling, Virginia.

It was chosen to service the historic reflecting pool after the government identified an “urgent need” to move the project forward. The government noted that a delay would lead to “serious injury.”

No further explanation of any harm or damage was provided, but the intended completion timeline was listed as July 4.

“The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project – more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th [anniversary],” an Interior Department spokesperson said in a statement.

In a Truth Social post, Trump slammed The Times’ report on the rising cost of repairs.

“The failing New York Times, which is one of the worst newspapers anywhere in the world, and is losing subscribers on an hourly basis, is now at it again,” he wrote.

“This is not just a paint job like lowlife ‘reporter,’ David Fahrenthold, of the NYT so inaccurately and maliciously stated, it is a deeply complicated work of smart and beautiful construction,” he claimed.

“It won’t leak, it will shine, and be the pride of Washington D.C. for decades to come,” he promised. “I saved more than 390 Million Dollars, and four years of no ‘mess,’ and was, of course, given no credit by the biased New York Times.”

“Also, I didn’t give out the contract, ‘Interior’ did, to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before,” the president declared. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Last month, Trump ordered his motorcade to drive through the reflecting pool, causing further damage.