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How the cost of Trump's reflecting pool renovation compares to Obama's

Since the start of Donald Trump's second administration, a raft of claims about changes to the National Park Service have spread online.

by Emery Winter, May 17, 2026


A close up photo of the National Park Service arrowhead logo. It features a simple depiction of a large tree in front of a distant mountain. A white buffalo is beneath. The words "National Park Service" are in upper right.

Image courtesy of Intelligentlove, accessed via Wikimedia


The National Park Service maintains hundreds of areas across the United States, many of which are, of course, national parks. But sites such as battlefields, monuments and even the White House also fall under the agency's watch.

Because the NPS is responsible for so many of the country's natural and human-made landmarks, it is unsurprising that a wide range of people are invested in its work, including how it manages parks, maintains monuments and treats park employees.

Since the start of President Donald Trump's second term in 2025, the administration's handling of the NPS has been under a microscope. Numerous actions the agency has taken have spawned rumors that have spread widely on social media.

Here are 10 claims we've investigated about the NPS and its work since Trump reentered the Oval Office:


By Emery Winter

Emery Winter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and previously worked for TEGNA'S VERIFY national fact-checking team. They enjoy sports and video games.

A bevy of four does, one of which appears to be a juvenile, are eating tree leaves. One of the does is facing the camera.

Is Trump allowing hunting in national parks? We tracked down the facts

May 14, 2026

The administration is easing restrictions for some NPS-managed lands, but the changes don't appl ...

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Look out for rumor Trump raised price of admission to national parks on MLK Day and Juneteenth

Dec. 10, 2025

The rumor came from a satirical account on X.

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A large mountain vista amid a blue sky.

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Feb. 26, 2025

The U.S. Department of the Interior said no parks are expected to close in the summer, but park ...

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National Park Service removed — then restored — details about Harriet Tubman on an 'Underground Railroad' webpage

April 7, 2025

The webpage's administrators temporarily changed an introductory paragraph to emphasize “Black/W ...

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A close up of a large male bison in a field of tall, browning grass. The bison is brown with a furry head

Breaking down claim Trump admin is evicting bison from federal land

May 18, 2026

The rumor is based on decision by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to revoke federal grazing p ...

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The left image shows construction workers standing around on scaffolding surrounding a large bronze horse statue; the right image shows U.S. President Donald Trump.

Is Trump spending millions in taxpayer funds to cover horse statues in gold?

June 1, 2026

President Donald Trump's administration has spent millions on beautification projects in Washing ...

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A red, white and blue flag is hung upside down on a large rock formation.

Workers hung upside-down US flag from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park

Feb. 25, 2025

The Trump administration fired a thousand National Park Service employees.

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Historic preservation laws don't require Trump to restore White House East Wing

Oct. 24, 2025

In fact, the White House has one or two exemptions from the nation's historic preservation laws.

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Photos purport to compare pristine Columbus Circle fountain under Trump vs. graffiti-covered fountain under Biden

June 2, 2026

The White House shared the images in 2026 with the label "DECLINE IS A CHOICE."

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An aerial shot of the Lincoln Memorial, a white marble building with a facade of 12 columns. In the foreground, a bunch of repair equipment and vehicles are parked on the drained bed of the reflecting pool. About one-third of it has been painted blue.

How the cost of Trump's reflecting pool renovation compares to Obama's

May 17, 2026

Conservative social media accounts claimed the news had unfairly criticized Trump's repairs whil ...

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