WASHINGTON — The newly refinished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is showing troubling signs of failure, with paint peeling away from the pool’s bottom and drifting into algae-tinted water — and it’s been less than two weeks since President Donald Trump declared the project done.
Trump announced on June 6 that renovation work on the historic pool was complete. But by Tuesday, workers were already pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water to fight an algae bloom that had turned the pool an unexpected shade of green rather than the intended dark blue. Now, peeling paint has added to the growing list of problems at the site.
The pool’s makeover was part of a sweeping Trump administration effort to redesign the nation’s capital. The renovation was carried out under a $14.7 million no-bid contract. The broader initiative also includes plans to tear down the East Wing of the White House to make room for a new ballroom and to construct a large arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
The National Park Service, which manages the National Mall where the pool is located, did not respond to a request for comment. Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia-based company that performed the renovation work, also had not responded as of the time of reporting.
People visiting the pool on Thursday were not shy about sharing their disappointment. Robert Dale, who traveled from Edwards, Colorado, told Reuters what he thought as he surveyed the scene: “I want my money back after seeing this. I think our resources could be used a lot better elsewhere. I think this reflecting pool was beautiful before, before all this attention.”
The Trump administration has faced pushback for bypassing traditional planning and preservation processes in its capital renovation efforts. Administration officials have brushed off that criticism as politically motivated, pointing instead to the president’s background as a real estate developer as a reason to trust his design judgment.
Separately, lawmakers have raised concerns about Trump’s decision to accept a $400 million aircraft from Qatar intended to serve as Air Force One. National security experts have cautioned that making the plane safe for presidential use would require significant upgrades — including measures to prevent eavesdropping, new communications systems, and missile-defense technology — all of which would demand considerable time and expense.
