Trump’s Reflecting Pool Renovation Falters Amid Paint Issues and Algae Blooms]

First, the new paint job appeared uneven. Then, an algae bloom turned the water an acid green. Now, large chunks of coating are peeling off the basin, creating islands of “American flag blue” alongside patches of pea green in a dark, murky soup.

The Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial appears to be rejecting its makeover. President Trump’s project to reseal and paint the concrete basin of the century-old pool that stretches between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial was completed nearly two weeks ago—just in time for the country’s 250th birthday celebration. However, the renovation has since become a public relations challenge for the administration.

The Interior Department claimed on social media this week that its workers had “killed the algae” accelerated by heat and humidity, posting images of the Washington Monument reflected in deep blue waters as a rebuttal to expert criticism that the pool’s color won’t improve until underlying structural issues are addressed.

However, by Friday afternoon, the murky water was again stained with loose algae clumps where National Park Service staff had scrubbed away bright green blooms along the basin bottom. Large sections of the new coating had also peeled away—one gap measured approximately the size of a park bench, with a sheet several inches long flapping in the waves, exposing the original concrete beneath.

Alex Hobe, 52, a food delivery driver who witnessed the scene, held up a semitransparent, rough piece of paint he had retrieved from the water. He called the renovation “a complete failure” but expressed sympathy for the ten workers scrubbing knees-deep in green water under harsh conditions.

Friday night, President Trump attributed some problems to “vandalism” by those allegedly seeking to “destroy and demean our beautiful work,” claiming algae was 75% gone and damage was minimal.

Multiple longstanding issues remain unresolved, including leaky and broken pipes disconnecting the pool from its filtration system. Workers have applied temporary measures like hydrogen peroxide treatments, avoiding fundamental infrastructure repairs. The cleanup efforts were visible to visitors, who observed pipes carrying acid-green water to storm drains and heard intensive filtration equipment operating throughout the site.

Most visitors focused more on the murky pool contents than on the historic monuments reflected in its waters. One observer questioned, “I don’t even know what they’re doing.”

Trey Quealy, 29, from West Virginia, stopped by after a Kennedy Center show and noted he had never previously considered the pool’s appearance problematic. “I thought it looked great,” he said, referencing the iconic “Forrest Gump” scene. “I would not have thought it was a necessary change.”

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