Crews were observed Friday draining the troubled Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, a landmark at the heart of Donald Trump’s initiative to beautify Washington, D.C.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park Service, told conservative podcaster Katie Miller in an interview released earlier this week that another round of draining was planned. He also noted that the water might still contain debris from the extensive Independence Day fireworks display over the National Mall.
“Drain the water, clean up the fireworks residue,” Burgum told Miller, who is the wife of Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. “Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.”
Early in his second term, Trump turned his attention to the 104‑year‑old pool on the National Mall, describing it as “filthy dirty” and suggesting the Biden administration had failed to maintain the site.
He has sought to make the pool a symbol of American patriotism by having the liner coating the bottom reflect the hue of the U.S. flag.
The renovation has drawn criticism for its mounting cost—estimated at over $16 million by June—and has been hindered by algae blooms that turned the pool greenish and caused the blue liner to peel.
The Trump administration attributes the pool’s problems to “vandals.” Several people have been arrested related to the unsubstantiated claims, including former Olympic cyclist David Hearn, who pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of property damage. Hearn said he reached inside the pool to examine the peeled sealant and released a chunk when instructed by a park worker.
“This indictment reflects the administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures,” Hearn’s lawyers said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. “The justice system exists to determine facts, not to provide political cover.”
The overhaul has also been scrutinized after reports emerged that some contractors selected had long ties to Trump, with critics decrying nepotism.
Work on the reflecting pool is just one of a number of projects Trump has spearheaded across the nation’s capital. Most prominently, he demolished the White House’s East Wing to build a $400 million ballroom and plans to erect a towering arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
When Trump initially announced his intentions to beautify the reflecting pool this spring, he said he wanted it completed before the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations.
Water was drained and Trump directed that the bottom be painted what he called “American flag blue.” In May, he posted on his social media site: “The goal is to have it done, at this higher level, prior to July 4th – We are ahead of schedule!”
Problems surfaced quickly after the initial work was finished. Trump blamed vandals, and court documents later showed that the National Park Service reported to police a June 9 incident in which a sharp knife or razor cut the pool’s new liner.
The pool was closed for the Independence Day celebration, which featured what Trump said was the largest fireworks display in the world. He had said the pool would have to be drained anew as part of the next round of repairs.
Burgum has also said that the Trump administration won’t seek bids for the new rounds of repairs. He told CNN’s State of the Union last weekend: “We’ll use the same company because they did a fantastic job.”
Ohio‑based Green Water Solutions, also known as Greenwater Services, was awarded a $1.7 million contract to install a water‑purification system in the reflecting pool, while Virginia‑based Atlantic Industrial Coatings received $14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.
Democratic senators and House members are investigating the pool project, including seeking answers about how much taxpayer funding is involved.
Associated Press contributed reporting
