The capital was quiet on Wednesday. From the high windows of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool lay bare, stripped of its water and its color. The bottom of the basin, once coated in a protective layer that President Donald Trump called "American flag blue" only this spring, now showed a dull and weathered gray.
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The project has been long and troublesome. President Trump intended to have the landmark restored before the nation celebrated its 250th birthday on July 4, but the deadline passed. The cost of the venture also rose sharply. The president initially stated the renovations would cost $1.5 million, but the final bill exceeded $16 million by June.
Though the administration promised the repairs would stand for a century, the pool faced immediate complications. Within days of its completion last month, the water turned thick with an algae bloom, and the new blue coating began to peel from the concrete floor. Records show that Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings received $14.7 million for the painting and waterproofing, while Ohio-based Green Water Solutions was awarded a $1.7 million contract for a new purification system.
President Trump has maintained that vandals caused the peeling, claiming without evidence that a "350-foot gash" was cut into the liner. Critics of the administration argue instead that the damage is the result of poor workmanship. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park Service, supported the president's view during an interview with podcaster Katie Miller, stating that crews would repair the vandalism and refill the basin.
The legal battles over the pool have already begun. Court documents indicate the National Park Service reported an incident on June 9 involving a knife or razor used against the liner. Former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn pleaded not guilty last week in D.C. Superior Court to charges of deliberate damage. Hearn stated he merely reached into the water to inspect the loose sealant. His attorneys argue he is a scapegoat for a flawed construction project, while three other individuals face misdemeanor charges for removing paint fragments.
This renovation is part of a larger, more aggressive effort by President Trump to reshape the landscape of Washington. The administration has already demolished the East Wing of the White House to make way for a $400 million ballroom, and plans remain underway to construct a massive stone arch spanning the Potomac between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.