Trump blames vandalism for Reflecting Pool's algae and peeling paint, orders draining for repairs

Algae clouds and peeling paint

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become a showcase of decay just weeks after a $14.2 million renovation ordered by President Trump for the upcoming America 250 celebrations. The bottom was painted a shade Trump calls "American flag blue," but within days an algae bloom turned the water green, and large strips of the new paint detached and floated to the surface. The Interior Department acknowledged that federal workers applied chemicals to kill the algae, but by Friday afternoon clumps of algae still stained the water and the pool's rocky floor was visible through bare patches.

Trump's unsubstantiated allegations

Rather than accept the engineering explanations, Trump turned to social media on Friday night and again on Saturday, insisting the damage was intentional. "We've had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool," he posted. "Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they've also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed." He offered no details to support the claims and drew a parallel to the numbers "86 47" that had been etched into grass on the National Mall the previous week, a possible threat against the 47th president. In a later post he asserted without proof that vandals had "poured corrosive and destructive chemicals into the Pool."

No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work.

Arrest of an Olympian

Among those caught in the controversy is David Carter Hearn, 67, a three-time Olympian in canoeing. Hearn told The New York Times he stopped at the pool on Friday simply to look, reached down to touch a strand of peeling blue paint mixed with algae, and was immediately arrested by U.S. Park Police. He is charged with destroying government property, a crime that carries up to 10 years in prison.

I was just a curious, concerned citizen. I guess I was there at the wrong place, wrong time.

Trump mentioned "many additional people have been arrested" for vandalism but the administration has not released other names. The Park Police, National Park Service and Interior Department did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.

Draining ordered

By Saturday Trump had met with contractors and conceded the severity of the problem. "We will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs," he wrote on social media, promising to finish them "as quickly as possible." He added that those responsible could face "years in jail." The announcement came after a week of negative coverage and days after White House officials had insisted the water was "crystal clear" despite the unmistakable greenish clouding.

Renovation under scrutiny

The more than $14 million project has drawn attention not only for its rapid failure but also for its procurement. A construction company tied to Trump was awarded a no-bid contract to apply the blue coating. Engineers and other experts had warned the hurried timeline was unlikely to fix the pool's longstanding drainage and algae problems, which have persisted for decades. The partial draining, if carried out, will mark the second major intervention since the renovation began, raising questions about the cost and oversight of Trump's signature beautification initiative in the capital.