Trump shifts his tone slightly in Reflecting Pool saga

🌶️ Plus: Taylor Farms recalls more products

12:30 REPORT 12:30 REPORT Monday, August 10 | By Cate Martel Today in DC: ⛅ 91°  View Online  |  Sign up It’s Monday. We made it to August recess! In today's issue: Trump admits to ‘contractor error’ in Reflecting Pool Weapon shortage reveals weakness in US defense  Taylor Farms recalls more products Obama appears on Larry David’s HBO show Programming note: I will be off on Tuesday and Wednesday. But don’t you worry — The Hill’s editors will be writing The Hill’s 12:30 Report! I’ll be back on Thursday, friends! 🥽 IN THE WHITE HOUSE OK, so there ~may~ have been some contractor error: Natasha Kaiser President Trump appears to be softening on his vandalism claims being the sole reason for the botched Reflecting Pool project. He acknowledged on Sunday there was “some contractor error” in the painting and renovation. “As with many jobs, there was also some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening, but it was a very small area of this massive Pool, and was relatively inconsequential,” Trump said. Though, he is still blaming the former Olympian for vandalism: Trump claimed that a National Park Service “career employee, a highly credible witness,” saw Olympian David Hearn “in broad daylight vandalize the Reflecting Pool by ‘violently’ ripping and tugging at the Pool’s somewhat delicate coating.” Keep in mind that the charges against Hearn have been dropped. Want to see what the Reflecting Pool looks like these days?: 📸 Here are photos 💬 Follow today’s live blog BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE REFLECTING POOL SAGA: The New York Times published an investigation of what went wrong in the project to renovate the national landmark. How it began: A Trump Organization hospitality manager went to Las Vegas to talk to vendors. The president wanted this project to be completed by the Fourth of July, which set them up for failure. The Times got poetic here: “Many of the details of the saga are reported in this article for the first time. They show that the pool, which was supposed to reflect the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, became a striking reflection instead of the second Trump administration’s willingness to skirt laws, expend millions of dollars, ignore facts and punish truth tellers in service of the president’s demands to put his mark on the capital.” One notable hiccup: “The president’s steep tariffs on resins from China and other countries had limited the availability of polyurea coatings.” Read more on everything that went wrong, plus the fallout: ‘How the Reflecting Pool Came to Mirror Trump’s Washington’ WHO HAS GOTTEN CAUGHT UP IN THE MESS: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Axios reports that this Reflecting Pool saga has overshadowed Burgum’s other projects. Read: ‘The Reflecting Pool haunts Doug Burgum’ HAPPENING TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE: Trump will swear in Attorney General Todd Blanche. 🗳️ ON CAPITOL HILL It looks like Max Miller *will not* drop out: The deadline for embattled Republican Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), who has been accused of domestic abuse against his ex-wife and young daughter, to drop out is today at 4 p.m. But despite a few hours remaining until that deadline, the window to replace Miller has likely already passed. Miller has denied the allegations. How so?: Local Republican leaders would have needed to call a meeting by Saturday in order to select a replacement. That would have meant that Miller would have needed to drop out over the weekend. What would happen if he dropped out now?: “If Miller were to end his campaign after Monday, his name could still be removed from the ballot until 70 days before the November election — that deadline is Aug. 25 — but there would be no Republican nominee for the office.” New: Republican Sen. Jim Banks (Ind.) called the allegations “deeply troubling” during a Sunday interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The Washington Post published a helpful explainer on why it’s too late to replace Miller, despite the deadline being 3.5 hours away: ‘Window closes for Ohio GOP to replace Rep. Max Miller on the ballot’ REST IN PEACE, BETH: Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R) beloved, longtime vacuum cleaner named “Beth” has died. The vacuum has been in the Grassley family for nearly 50 years (!) Grassley posted on X: “U will see Beth no more   See black that’s from electrical sparks. It’s not safe to use anymore. GOOD BYE BETH . U hv been a real workhorse. Ur namesake still is hard worker.  I will miss u” 📸 Photo of Beth 🗞️ Beth even got an NYT obit 🪖 OTHER NEWS: Why the U.S. is at a disadvantage with Iran: “America’s depleted arsenal of premier offensive and defensive weapons is undermining President Trump’s leverage with Iran,” The Hill’s Filip Timotija reports. How depleted are the US’s stockpiles?: “The military’s supply of its premium long-range missiles and interceptors for key missile defense systems is nearly exhausted after more than five months of airstrikes against Iran, recent news reports revealed, constraining Trump in authorizing major combat operations against the Islamic Republic.” Was this avoidable?: Well, for what it’s worth, former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta blamed “poor planning” by the Pentagon. “So, this is a dangerous moment for the United States to have these reduced stockpiles of key weapons at a time when these threats are all real,” Panetta told CNN. How is the Trump administration handling the shortage?: The Pentagon is pushing defense contractors to speed up production of weapons. Read more: ‘America’s depleted weapons stockpiles undermine Trump’s leverage with Iran’ ➤ QUICK HITS: — Taylor Farms is recalling prepared salsa and guacamole due to a risk of salmonella. Basically, the company is recalling foods containing jalapenos. — Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was hospitalized after appearing to self-harm on a livestream. The Atlantic published reporting today on the significance: “The Internet Is in Crisis: For 15 minutes, the celebrity-gossip blogger Perez Hilton livestreamed his violent self-harm without anyone intervening.” ➤ MORE READS: The New York Times: Inside the Left’s Playbook for Winning Elections: Progressives are being outspent and are receiving little support from the Democratic Party. Their tactics show a different way to succeed. The Wall Street Journal: If You Get in a Car Crash, the Risk Is Growing Your Insurance Won’t Pay The Washington Post: A twist in the race for Lindsey Graham’s seat: No clear Trump-aligned candidate Politico: Pelosi wages war over her succession Jim VandeHei in Axios: A different way to view the Fed The New York Times: Flock Cameras Can Track Every Car in America. Police Love Them. Citizens Don’t: In Texas, there’s one thing liberals and conservatives agree on: They don’t want cameras trained on their cars. 🗓️ COMING UP The House and Senate are out. 🌞 President Trump is at the White House with no public events scheduled. (All times EDT) 2 p.m. Trump swears in Todd Blanche as attorney general. 2:45 p.m. Trump signs an executive order. 6:30 p.m. Trump participates in tele-rallies. 🐝 INTERNET BUZZ 🔥 Celebrate: Today is National S’mores Day!   👔 Obama brought back the tan suit: Former President Obama appeared on the season finale of Larry David’s “Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness” on HBO — and he wore the infamous tan suit! 👋 AND FINALLY… Before I leave you, here’s a video of a dog stealing dinner. For once, I sorta agree this looks incriminating. But how sure are we?  Stay Engaged  I love hearing from you — send your feedback, tips and favorite cookie recipes 🍪 to cmartel@thehill.com. Check out more newsletters here. See you next time! 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