Reflecting Pool Drained After Trump’s Green Slime Humiliation
President Donald Trump’s troubled makeover of one of Washington, D.C.’s most recognizable landmarks is getting another do-over.
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The latest patch-up job, which continued over the weekend, comes after the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was drained again following weeks of embarrassing problems.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum confirmed the National Park Service is once again emptying the pool after last month’s refurbishment quickly unraveled. Large sections of the newly coated surface began peeling, while the water turned a murky green due to an algal bloom.
The latest setback lands just weeks after the administration promoted the overhaul as part of its campaign to spruce up the nation’s capital ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Burgum suggested the work would include cleaning up debris left behind by the massive Independence Day fireworks display over the National Mall.
“Drain the water, clean up the fireworks stuff,” Burgum told conservative podcaster Katie Miller, the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. “Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.”
Trump has blamed vandals for the peeling surface, but critics argue the damage points to poor repair work instead.
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The project’s cost has also exploded. Initially estimated at $1.8 million, the refurbishment is now expected to cost at least $14.7 million. The no-bid contract was awarded to a Virginia company that had previously worked on a swimming pool at one of Trump’s golf clubs.
Despite the mounting criticism, Burgum signaled the administration has no plans to seek a new contractor.
“They did a fantastic job,” he told CNN’s State of the Union.
The Reflecting Pool is only one piece of a broader makeover Trump has championed across Washington. The administration has unveiled plans for a new White House ballroom, a giant arch near Arlington National Cemetery, and the restoration of 22 fountains around the capital.
One of those projects has also stumbled. The restored cascading fountain at Meridian Hill Park turned a muddy brown before taking on a murky green color days later.
Meanwhile, the legal battle over the Reflecting Pool continues. Former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn pleaded not guilty in Washington, D.C., Superior Court to charges that he deliberately damaged the pool after reaching in to inspect peeling sealant.
Hearn said he released a loose piece only after a park worker instructed him to do so. His attorneys and other critics have accused the Trump administration of scapegoating him for what they argue are construction failures rather than vandalism.
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