Donald Trump's rushed renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, a symbol of Washington DC, has encountered repeated problems including algae, peeling paint, and a soaring price tag. The president has blamed vandals for the issues, but reporters found no evidence of such damage.
Cost and Contract
Trump originally said the renovation would cost $1.8 million, but the price has ballooned to nearly $15 million, according to the federal contract. The Obama administration spent about $34 million on a two-year renovation ending in 2012, addressing leaks, filtration, and paint, and making the pool shallower to save water.
The Trump administration awarded a no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based business that had not previously won any federal contracts. About $14.7 million was allocated to the firm, which Trump said had worked at his golf club in Virginia, though the company did not confirm this. Another no-bid contract went to John J. Cafaro, a Trump donor and neighbor of Mar-a-Lago, for a $1.7 million filtration system to address algae.
Color and Algae Issues
The bottom of the reflecting pool historically was grayish to reflect the monuments, but Trump sought to make it 'American flag blue,' a dark navy officially called 'Old Glory Blue.' The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit to stop the work, calling it an 'aesthetic injury.' The deep blue initially appeared nearly black.
Within days of completion, the water turned green due to algae. The Trump administration claimed the water was 'crystal clear' and blamed 'fake news' media. The Interior Department said it used 'advanced nanobubbler technology' to kill algae, and workers have been wading through the pool vacuuming algae and pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water. Officials prematurely declared victory, but algae remained visible.
Algae growth is common in shallow, stagnant water in summer. Steve Goodale, a swimming pool specialist known as 'Swimming Pool Steve,' told NPR: 'It's called new pond syndrome. It's a known thing that happens when you take a natural, clear body of water like this that sits in an open air environment and you try to start it up, very often you end up with green water almost immediately.'
Paint Peeling and Vandalism Claims
The coating of paint also started to peel off, with people pulling chunks of floating paint from the pool. Trump acknowledged 'real problems' but blamed 'vandals' who he claimed used 'some form of knife or blade' to deliver a 250-foot gash, later claiming it grew to 300 feet. Reporters from the Washington Post who visited the pool on Sunday saw no evidence of such damage. Trump also claimed vandals poured 'corrosive and destructive chemicals' into the water. Government workers were seen pouring hydrogen peroxide to tackle the algae.
Five people were arrested for vandalizing the pool and another five were issued federal citations as of Saturday, CBS News reported, citing an unnamed administration official. However, it is unclear if any committed acts of vandalism. A three-time US Olympian and canoeist, David Hearn, was arrested after reaching into the water to feel a detached piece of the blue liner. He told the Washington Post: 'I didn't vandalize anything. I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.'
What Happens Now?
Trump said contractors 'will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water' to repair the pool. He wrote on Truth Social: 'Work will begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool. I just inspected it, and could only say to myself, and those gathered around me, WOW, who would do such a thing? SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE! We will fix it?'
