{"id":85216,"date":"2026-06-22T14:16:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-to-be-drained-again-after-14-7m-renovation\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:16:51","slug":"lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-to-be-drained-again-after-14-7m-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-to-be-drained-again-after-14-7m-renovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to Be Drained Again After $14.7M Renovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782152211146.jpg?resize=450%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-85215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782152211146.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782152211146.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Washington&#8217;s National Mall is being prepared to be drained once more \u2014 just weeks after a $14.7 million renovation project was completed \u2014 as President Donald Trump issues stern warnings to those accused of vandalizing the historic landmark.<\/p><p>According to Washington-based WTOP Radio, the DC Water authority has issued a permit to drain the 2,000-foot-long rectangular pool. The company that performed the renovation work says it will address the needed repairs under its warranty obligations.<\/p><p>Neither the National Park Service nor DC Water responded to requests for comment.<\/p><p>Peeling paint and algae growth became noticeable in the pool shortly after President Trump announced the renovation complete on June 6. Questions have been raised about the no-bid contract used to recoat the pool ahead of the nation&#8217;s 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for next month, along with concerns about the ducks that inhabit the water.<\/p><p>Trump has attributed the pool&#8217;s deteriorating condition to vandals, though he has not offered evidence to support that claim. On Monday, he reinforced a weekend threat made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to pursue criminal charges against those accused of attempting to damage the pool.<\/p><p>&#8220;Please remember that there is a 10-year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things \u2014 Which will be fully enforced!&#8221; Trump stated in a social media post.<\/p><p>Trump indicated that multiple arrests have already taken place. Media reports citing an administration official say at least five individuals have been arrested \u2014 including a former Olympian who has publicly denied the accusations \u2014 while five others received citations. The U.S. Park Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p><p>Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the firm responsible for the renovation, released a statement Sunday saying the sections requiring repair represent &#8220;a very small part of the massive 7-acre project, and do not indicate a failure of the liner.&#8221;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is set to be drained for a second time in just weeks following a costly renovation, as President Trump warns those accused of vandalism could face prison time. A permit has been issued to drain the landmark pool, and the contractor says repairs will be covered under warranty. At least five people have been arrested in connection with alleged damage to the site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":85215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782152211146.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-mas","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":77424,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/lincoln-memorial-pool-begins-refilling-after-trumps-american-flag-blue-renovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":85216,"position":0},"title":"Lincoln Memorial Pool Begins Refilling After Trump&#8217;s &#8216;American Flag Blue&#8217; Renovation","author":"Admin","date":"June 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington is being refilled with water following renovations ordered by President Donald Trump. The project included painting the pool basin in what Trump described as 'American flag blue.'","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780695435231.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780695435231.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780695435231.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780695435231.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":84181,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/algae-turns-dc-reflecting-pool-green-spoiling-trumps-vision-for-patriotic-blue\/","url_meta":{"origin":85216,"position":1},"title":"Algae Turns DC Reflecting Pool Green, Spoiling Trump&#8217;s Vision for Patriotic Blue","author":"Admin","date":"June 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has turned green with algae, falling short of the 'American flag blue' appearance President Trump had hoped for after a recent renovation. Experts say the shallow, sun-drenched water creates ideal conditions for algae to thrive during summer months. The recent renovation work may have actually\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;U.S. News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":76763,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-renovation-complete-water-filling-soon\/","url_meta":{"origin":85216,"position":2},"title":"Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Renovation Complete, Water Filling Soon","author":"Admin","date":"June 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Donald Trump's administration says the renovation of Washington D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is finished and will be filled with water by Sunday. The project painted the historic basin in what Trump calls \"American flag blue\" but has faced criticism over its $14.8 million cost and legal challenges.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780594839524.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780594839524.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780594839524.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780594839524.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63490,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/trump-visits-lincoln-memorial-after-adding-blue-coating-to-reflecting-pool\/","url_meta":{"origin":85216,"position":3},"title":"Trump Visits Lincoln Memorial After Adding Blue Coating to Reflecting Pool","author":"Admin","date":"May 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday to inspect the Reflecting Pool, which he had coated in what he calls 'American flag blue.' The president drove across the newly coated pool and spoke with reporters about the renovation project.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778204373307.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778204373307.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778204373307.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778204373307.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":83795,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/paint-already-peeling-at-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-after-14-7m-renovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":85216,"position":4},"title":"Paint Already Peeling at Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool After $14.7M Renovation","author":"Admin","date":"June 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Less than two weeks after President Trump declared the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation complete, the fresh paint is already peeling off the bottom and flaking into the water. The $14.7 million project, awarded through a no-bid contract, has also struggled with an algae bloom that turned the water green\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781817452447.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":64950,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/historic-group-sues-to-stop-trumps-lincoln-memorial-pool-renovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":85216,"position":5},"title":"Historic Group Sues to Stop Trump&#8217;s Lincoln Memorial Pool Renovation","author":"Admin","date":"May 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A preservation organization has filed a federal lawsuit to block President Trump's renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington D.C. The Cultural Landscape Foundation claims the project violates historic preservation laws by changing the pool's traditional gray stone appearance to a blue swimming pool coating.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778527351931.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85216\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}