President Donald Trump‘s administration is reportedly spending $5 million to restore and coat the four bronze horse statues that surround the Lincoln Memorial in 23.75-karat gold leaf.

According to a new report by NOTUS, the currently faded and patchy gold-coated statues, which were first restored in 1970, are getting a makeover ahead of America’s 250th anniversary. These statues run in pairs and are called the Arts of War and Arts of Peace.

The National Park Service handed the $5 million contract to The Guilder’s Studio, Inc, in Maryland for this restoration project on April 21, 2026. While NOTUS reports a possible end date in time for July 4, the official timeline for completion lists the current projected end date as Sept. 30, 2026.

“The purpose of this acquisition is to procure the services necessary to complete the work required, including the full conservation and regilding of four (4) monumental equestrian bronze sculptures,” the contract reads. “Work includes comprehensive bronze conservation.”

NOTUS identified $95 million in taxpayer-funded beautification projects across D.C. based on government spending data from December 2025 to April 2026.

Trump has made the “beautification” of D.C. a priority since the beginning of his second term.

“People are flocking to D.C. again, and soon, the beautification will begin!” he wrote on Truth Social back in August of last year.

A report from ABC News earlier this month suggested the Trump administration could be edging toward a $400 million settlement with TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, that would direct the money toward Trump’s “beautification” efforts in lieu of compensating the victims. This move would mark the resolution of a 2024 child privacy lawsuit started by former President Joe Biden‘s administration.

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