Donald Trump criticized his administration for acknowledging that the contractors he selected had made errors in renovating the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, rather than attributing the issues to “sick vandals” as he had previously claimed.
The Justice Department reversed its decision and dropped charges against a former Olympian accused of intentionally damaging the pool, leading to an embarrassing retreat for the administration.
Despite this, Trump publicly disagreed with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the matter, insisting that the damage was primarily caused by vandals and not contractor mistakes.
In a surprising move in April, Trump abandoned a $3 billion plan to revamp the historical landmark where Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech. Instead, he opted to have his own contractors use industrial swimming pool sealant in a shade of “American Flag Blue.”
The project faced delays, finishing five weeks behind schedule just before the July 4th deadline, and cost nearly $15 million, significantly more than the initially promised $1.5 million.
Shortly after the pool was filled with water, it turned green with algae, and the sealant began peeling off the bottom within a week. Despite these issues, Trump continued to blame imaginary vandals for the problems, even alleging a large gash was deliberately made with a blade.
David Hearn, a renowned canoeist, was arrested under suspicion of vandalizing the pool and faced a potential 10-year prison sentence. However, the Trump administration later admitted that flawed installation by the contractor was the true cause of the damage.
The rushed completion of the project before the America 250 celebrations surrounding Independence Day 2026 was also cited as a contributing factor to the pool’s issues.
Documents revealed that prosecutors were misled initially and only learned of the faulty installation after new information from the Department of the Interior came to light.
Recently, Trump’s UFC Birthday Party event took place near the reflecting pool, just a week after the renovation was finished.