Donald Trump's pre-Fourth of July renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has encountered persistent problems, including algae growth, peeling paint, and a ballooning price tag, leading the president to blame vandals for the issues.
Project Cost and Background
Trump originally estimated the renovation would cost $1.8 million to repair and repaint the reflecting pool, but the federal contract now shows the price has surged to nearly $15 million. The Obama administration spent about $34 million on a two-year renovation ending in 2012, which addressed leaks, filtration, and paint while making the pool shallower to save water.
No-Bid Contracts and Controversy
The Trump administration bypassed competitive bidding, awarding a no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based company that had not previously won federal contracts. Trump claimed the firm had worked on swimming pools at one of his golf clubs, though the company did not confirm this. Another no-bid contract worth $1.7 million went to John J. Cafaro, a Trump donor and neighbor of Mar-a-Lago, for a filtration system to address algae.
Color Change and Lawsuit
Trump sought to paint the pool's bottom "American flag blue," a dark navy shade known as "Old Glory Blue." The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit to stop the work, arguing that the blue paint would "fundamentally alter the existing harmony, solemnity, and dignity of the current memorial landscape." Initially, the deep blue appeared almost black.
Algae and Peeling Paint
Within days of completion, the water turned green due to algae. The interior department claimed the water was "crystal clear" and blamed "fake news" media. Officials used "advanced nanobubbler technology" and hydrogen peroxide to clean the pool, but algae persisted. 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." Additionally, the paint began peeling, with chunks floating in the water.
Trump's Vandalism Claims
Trump acknowledged "real problems" but blamed vandals, claiming they used a knife to create a 250-foot gash that later grew to 300 feet. He also alleged vandals poured "corrosive and destructive chemicals" into the pool. However, Washington Post reporters visiting the pool found no evidence of such damage. Five people were arrested for vandalism, and five others received federal citations, according to CBS News. Among them was three-time US Olympian David Hearn, who said he only touched a detached piece of liner. "I didn't vandalize anything," Hearn told the Washington Post. "I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs."
Next Steps
Trump said contractors will likely drain the water for repairs. "Work will begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool," he wrote on Truth Social. The pool, built in 1922 and site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, remains a focal point of controversy.
