Paint begins to come off Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool days after $14 million renovation ordered by Trump

Paint comes off the bottom of the water mirror of the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C., in the United States, days after renovation ordered by President Donald Trump. Photo from June 18, 2026.
REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
The paint in the water mirror of the Lincoln Memorial, the postcard of the capital of the United States, began to come off the bottom of the pool days after the end of the renovation there, ordered by the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
The paint in the recently renovated reflecting pool of the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, was coming off the bottom and mixing with the tinted water green with algae on Thursday, less than two weeks after President Donald Trump announced the work's completion.
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The historic pool was drained and renovated in a $14.7 million no-bid contract this year, as part of Trump's sweeping plans to reshape the United States capital, which include demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make way for a new ballroom and building of a large arch near Arlington National Cemetery that honors the nation's war dead and other prominent Americans.
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Trump announced on June 6 that work on the pool had been completed. By Tuesday, workers had begun pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool to combat an algae bloom that has turned it green instead of the expected dark blue.
The National Park Service, which manages 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 renovation, also did not immediately comment.
Some visitors to the site said they were not impressed. "I want my money back after seeing this. I think our resources could be used much better elsewhere," Robert Dale of Edwards, Colorado, told Reuters as he watched the scene. "I think this reflecting pool was beautiful before, before all this attention."
Trump has faced criticism for speeding up planning processes designed to preserve Washington's carefully designed appearance in his renovation program, criticism that his administration has dismissed as partisan attacks, while praising the real estate developer's design skills.
Photo montage shows reflecting pool of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., in the United States, on the 12th, 16th and 18th June 2026, after renovations to the reflecting pool to paint it blue.
REUTERS/Eric Lee/Evan Vucci/Annabelle Gordon
Parliamentarians also raised questions about his decision to accept a US$400 million plane from Qatar to be put into service as Air Force One, which transports the president, his team, security and journalists on their trips around the country and the world. Security experts have warned that adapting the aircraft would require extensive security improvements, communications enhancements to prevent eavesdropping and missile defense capabilities, all of which will take time and money to install.

Source: G1