President Donald Trump expressed frustration over the problems plaguing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, stating that the $14 million renovation project would likely need to be drained for repairs. The pool, which was recently renovated to feature an "American flag blue" lining, has quickly turned green with algae and seen its blue material peeling off. This deterioration occurred shortly after the pool was refilled as part of a significant beautification effort by the Trump administration.
Trump attributed these issues to vandalism, claiming on Truth Social that "multiple individuals" had been arrested by Park Police for damaging the pool. He suggested that chemicals similar to those used to deface the National Mall with the numbers "8647" were also used in the Reflecting Pool to "destroy and demean our beautiful work." However, Trump did not provide specific evidence to substantiate these claims, and law enforcement agencies responsible for the National Mall did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The renovation, initially estimated at $1.8 million, ballooned to $14.7 million. After being refilled, the pool rapidly became overtaken by algae, despite workers attempting to vacuum it out, install an "ozone nanobubbler" filtration system, and add gallons of hydrogen peroxide. The subsequent peeling of the blue lining further exacerbated the problems, drawing criticism from figures like Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who called it an "embarrassing waste of resources."
Trump reaffirmed that despite the vandalism, the damaged areas, which he described as small, would be fixed early next week to restore the pool to its previous "beautiful" state. He indicated that draining a significant portion of the water would likely be necessary for these repairs. The situation has drawn considerable negative attention and curious onlookers, with some reports linking one arrest to a man who merely touched peeling material, not actively vandalizing the pool.
