The drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool now shows a liner that looks gray, not the “American flag blue” President Donald Trump touted when the pool was repainted and refilled in early June.
More than $16 million has been spent on the overhaul, yet the project missed Trump’s July 4 target and quickly ran into algae blooms, peeling coating and another draining for repairs.
Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum say vandals damaged the liner, and court records cite a June 9 report of a knife or razor cut; no large 350-foot gash was immediately visible from Wednesday’s public vantage point.
David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, and at least three others have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor or vandalism charges tied to removing or damaging pieces of the pool’s coating.
The pool work has become a high-profile example of Trump’s broader remaking of Washington, which also includes a planned $400 million White House ballroom and a proposed arch near the Lincoln Memorial.