WASHINGTON — The paint on Washington's newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is peeling away from the bottom and into the algae-tinted water, less than two weeks after President Donald Trump announced the job's completion.
The historic pool was drained and refinished in a $14.7 million no-bid contract this year as part of Trump's sweeping plans to remake the U.S.'s capital city, which includes 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.
A combination of pictures of the renovations of the Reflecting Pool taken May 2, May 28, June 7, June 12, June 16 and June 18. It was painted blue at the directive of President Donald Trump, ahead of the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence, in Washington, D.C.
Members of the National Park Service clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after recent renovations following a directive from President Donald Trump to paint it blue ahead of the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence in Washington, D.C.
Trump announced June 6 that work on the pool was finished. By Tuesday, workers started pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool to combat an algae bloom that turned it green, instead of the expected dark blue.
In a social media post Friday, the president blamed vandals for the troubles that cropped up, USA Today reported.
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"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," Trump wrote, referring to the numbers "8647" that appeared on a stretch of grass. "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."
Law enforcement is investigating, he confirmed.
However, historical records show algae has been a recurring issue in the pool for decades.
The National Park Service, which operates the National Mall, where the pool is located, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia-based company that carried out the renovations, also did not immediately respond.
Some visitors to the site said they were unimpressed.
"I want my money back after seeing this. I think our resources could be used a lot better elsewhere," Robert Dale of Edwards of Colorado told Reuters as he looked on. "I think this reflecting pool was beautiful before, before all this attention."
Reporters and photographers record a small section of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool newly installed liner measuring about 3x3 feet which was visibly detached and floating with one end still adhered to the pool located at the middle portion of the north side of the reflecting pool on Thursday.
Trump faced criticism for speeding past planning processes meant to preserve Washington's carefully designed appearances in his renovation program, criticism that his administration dismissed as partisan sniping while praising the real estate developer's design acumen.
Lawmakers 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 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.
