Crews are once again draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as President Donald Trump’s ambitious efforts to revamp the iconic waterway continue to face setbacks, pushing completion well past his initial July 4 deadline for the nation’s 250th birthday.
Trump had initially suggested his renovations would endure for a century. However, within weeks of the project’s initial completion last month, the pool was plagued by an algae bloom, and sections of the new coating began peeling from the bottom. While Trump has attributed the peeling to vandals, critics contend it is a result of substandard repair work.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park Service, confirmed in a recent interview with conservative podcaster Katie Miller that the pond would be drained again. He also suggested that debris from an extensive Independence Day fireworks display over the National Mall might be present in the water.
“Drain the water, clean up the fireworks stuff,” Burgum told Miller, wife of deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller. “Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.”
The Reflecting Pool project is one of several initiatives Trump has spearheaded across the capital. Notably, he oversaw the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to construct a $400 million ballroom and has plans for a towering arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
Trump first announced his intentions to beautify the Reflecting Pool this spring, aiming for completion before the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations. After the water was drained, Trump directed that the bottom be painted what he termed “American flag blue.” In May, he posted on his social media, “The goal is to have it done, at this higher level, prior to July 4th — We are ahead of schedule!”
However, problems emerged swiftly after the initial work concluded. Trump blamed vandals, and court documents later revealed that the National Park Service reported a June 9 incident to the U.S. Park Police, involving a sharp knife or razor cutting the pool’s new liner.
On Thursday, former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn pleaded not guilty in D.C. Superior Court to deliberately damaging the Reflecting Pool. Hearn stated he reached into the pool to examine the peeled sealant and released a chunk when instructed by a park worker. His attorneys and other critics of the Trump administration have denounced the case as an abuse of prosecutorial power, arguing he is being scapegoated for the poor quality of the repair work.
Online court records indicate that at least three other individuals have been charged with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the Reflecting Pool. All three entered not guilty pleas during their initial court appearances on Wednesday.
The pool remained closed for the Independence Day celebration, which featured what Trump described as the world’s largest fireworks display. The President had previously indicated that the pool would require another draining as part of the new round of repairs.
Burgum has also stated that the Trump administration will not seek new bids for these additional repairs. He told CNN last weekend: “We’ll use the same company because they did a fantastic job.”
Ohio-based Green Water Solutions, also known as Greenwater Services, was given a $1.7 million contract to install a water-purification system in the Reflecting Pool, while Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.
Democratic senators and House members are currently investigating the pool project, seeking answers regarding the extent of taxpayer funding involved.
