Donald Trump’s disputed overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has hit a fresh setback, with the newly applied “American flag blue” finish already showing signs of peeling from the pool floor.
The landmark pool was emptied and resurfaced earlier this year under a no-bid contract, part of the president’s broader push to revamp and beautify Washington DC.
As part of the $14.2 million project, the base of the memorial pool was painted a deep blue, with Trump announcing on June 6 that the renovations had been completed.
But only weeks after that announcement, photographs appear to show the fresh coating already flaking, chipped and coming away in places.
On Friday, Trump used Truth Social to point the finger at liberal vandals for the apparent damage.
“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 wrote.
Trump said that those who oppose him are trying to ‘destroy and demean our beautiful work.’
It comes after workers were forced to pour hydrogen peroxide into the pool to combat an algae bloom that had turned it green, instead of the expected dark blue.
Paint peels from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after recent renovations
Workers had started pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool to combat an algae bloom that had turned it green
Trump said Friday that 75 percent of the algae has been destroyed ‘and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week.’
He added that law enforcement is investigating the problems ‘and will hopefully have it resolved soon’ as he called out ABC reporter Jonathan Karl for sticking his hand into the pool, ‘trying to rip the rubber off the surface.’ The Daily Mail reached out to Karl for comment.
‘It’s a shame that the Radical Left Lunatics, most likely Dumocats, who have spent their lives trying to ruin our Country, are free to do so,’ Trump added.
The President later posted a photo of what was ostensibly a protester wearing a t-shirt that read ‘TEAM ALGAE.’
The National Park Service, which operates the National Mall where the pool is located, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia-based company that carried out the renovations, also did not immediately respond. The Daily Mail reached out to local police for comment.
Earlier this month the president announced on Truth Social that the project was complete, bragging that the renovation was ‘very complex, but powerful,’ adding that clean water had been added to the pool.
‘It was originally opened in 1922, but never functioned properly — now it does!’ Trump said.
On Friday, Trump took to his Truth Social account to blame liberal vandals for the damage
The President later posted a photo of what was ostensibly a protester wearing a t-shirt that read ‘TEAM ALGAE’
‘Thank you President Trump, thank you Department of the Interior — AND THE BEST IS YET TO COME with The Trump Promenade at The Lincoln Memorial, and The Triumphal Arch, which will be, along with the White House Ballroom, when completed, the Greatest Structure in Washington.’
However, just weeks after the triumphant announcement, the water in the Reflecting Pool turned a stomach-churning lime green.
On Tuesday, crews were seen dumping hydrogen peroxide into the water to curb algal growth.
The Department of the Interior, which is overseeing the project, said in a statement to media outlets that ‘nanobubbler technology’ had been installed to address the buildup of algae.
‘Unlike under Obama and Biden, the National Park Service is actually maintaining the beautifully completed Reflecting Pool,’ a spokesperson for the department said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
‘To keep the water in the Reflecting Pool not only crystal clear but also clean, we are deploying high-tech nanobubble ozone technology.’
The department added that the technology kills algae, pathogens and contaminants that have long plagued the pool.
The Trump administration then blamed former President Barack Obama for failing to keep up with renovations.
The DOI confirmed that hydrogen peroxide was being used to treat the pool, but claimed there were no harmful side effects to the environment or marine life.
Crews continue to work on clearing the algae from the Reflecting Pool
The bottom of the monument was repainted in a dark blue as part of the $14.2 million renovations
The administration paid over $1.7 million to Green Water Solutions LLC last April for a ‘nano bubble,’ according to government spending files.
Nanobubblers are microscopic gas bubbles. They suspend in water, increasing dissolved oxygen levels and altering the water chemistry.
The gas bubbles damage algae cells and break them apart, preventing the water from turning green.
Nanobubbler technology has been tested and validated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Ohio State University and University of Florida, the DOI said.
The Reflecting Pool has plagued previous administrations, as algae buildup has frequently prevented the water from properly reflecting the memorial as designed.
The Obama administration poured over $35 million into a repair job, only for the green hue to return within a month.
Trump has taken a stab at the project, initially projecting that renovations would cost $2 million and take a week to complete.
The project ended up costing $14 million and took two months to complete. Atlantic Industrial Coating received a no-bid contract after the administration bypassed bureaucratic procedures, the New York Times reported.
Despite multiple renovation projects under previous administrations, the structure of the Reflecting Pool has made it difficult to keep clear
Trump had touted that the work on the Reflecting Pool was done just two weeks ago
Trump said he personally picked the company after they worked on a pool at his Virginia golf club, however, he later said he did not know the contractor.
When asked about the Times reporting, a spokesperson for the DOI told the Daily Mail: ‘The company selected was the only company that had the expertise, staff, and materials necessary to complete the project in time for major celebrations ahead of our 250th.’
Atlantic clarified in a statement to the Daily Mail that they were awarded the contract after they were recommended by the selected product supplier.
‘We have never done work for President Trump, his companies, or anyone affiliated with him,’ a spokesperson for the company stated.
‘We did line the pool with polyurea, not paint. We have nothing to do with the water, we were solely contracted to line the pool, thus making it water tight, to stop the leaks.’
The spokesperson added that the initial price for lining the pool was $13.1 million and two other product suppliers presented proposals.
The White House directed all inquiries to the DOI when asked about the contact with the company.
Earlier this month, the White House shared photos of the Reflecting Pool looking clear and blue.
The Reflecting Pool has plagued previous administrations, as algae buildup has frequently prevented the water from properly reflecting the memorial as designed
Ducks swim through algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
‘The water is ON, the Reflecting Pool is reflecting, and DC is looking better than ever,’ the administration said.
However, just a few days later, the algae already started popping up again. A spokesperson for the DOI told CNN at the time that the algae was ‘residual.’
‘It’s part of the normal startup process. We are removing the algae, and the nanobubblers will maintain the pool and keep it algae free,’ they added.
Individuals familiar with the project told the Times that they worried the renovation did not address buried pipes that often leaked.
Trump has faced criticism for speeding past planning processes meant to preserve Washington’s carefully designed appearances in his renovation program, criticism that his administration has dismissed as partisan sniping while praising the real estate developer’s design acumen.
Lawmakers have also raised questions about his decision to accept a $400 million airplane from Qatar to be put into service as Air Force One, which ferries the president, his staff and security detail and journalists on his travels around the nation and the world.
Security experts have warned that retrofitting the plane would require extensive security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent eavesdropping and missile-defense capabilities, all of which would take time and money to install.
Trump’s other plans for beautifying Washington include tearing down the East Wing of the White House to make space for a new ballroom and building a massive arch near Arlington National Cemetery, which honors the nation’s war dead and other prominent Americans.
