Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Liner Fades to Gray After Trump Renovation

After the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was drained, its bottom surface now appears noticeably faded from the protective coating that former President Donald Trump had dubbed “American flag blue” when it was installed this spring.

An Associated Press reporter and photographer observed the fenced‑off pool from the Washington Monument on Wednesday, noting that the new liner looks grayer than when the pool was repainted and refilled in early June. The debris that had been visible earlier this week after the draining has now been largely cleared by maintenance crews.

The project to renovate the landmark has been plagued with problems and now extends well beyond former President Trump’s original target of having the reflecting pool ready by July 4 for the nation’s 250th birthday.

The cost estimate for the renovations was initially projected at $1.5 million, but the budget has since ballooned to more than $16 million as of June.

Trump had promised the repairs would last a century, yet within days of the project’s initial completion last month, the water became infested with algae and signs of peeling coating were observed on the pool’s bottom.

An Ohio‑based firm, Green Water Solutions (also known as Greenwater Services), secured a $1.7 million contract to install a water‑purification system in the reflecting pool. Meanwhile, Virginia‑based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.

Former President Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for the peeling paint, while critics contend the issue stems from subpar repair work.

Trump has claimed, without providing evidence, that vandals made a “350‑foot gash” in the liner and caused additional damage. No large slash marks were visible on Wednesday from the Washington Monument viewpoint, and a dark perimeter fence prevented a detailed up‑close inspection of the entire pool.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the National Park Service, described the plan for the pool as straightforward: after draining the water and clearing debris from Independence Day fireworks, the goal is to “repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.” Burgum made the remarks while speaking with conservative podcaster Katie Miller.

Court documents indicate that the National Park Service reported a June 9 incident to the U.S. Park Police, alleging that a sharp knife or razor cut the pool’s new liner.

Former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn pleaded not guilty last week in D.C. Superior Court to deliberately damaging the reflecting pool. Hearn has testified that he reached into the pool to inspect the peeled sealant and released a chunk of it after being instructed to do so by a park worker.

Hearn’s attorneys and other critics of the Trump administration have derided the prosecution as an abuse of power, arguing that he is being used as a scapegoat for the poorly executed pool repairs.

Court records show that at least three other individuals have been charged in the same court with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the pool. All three pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances.

The reflecting pool project is only one of many initiatives former President Trump has championed across the nation’s capital. The most notable of these includes the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to construct a $400 million ballroom, as well as plans for a towering arch linking the Lincoln Memorial with Arlington National Cemetery.

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