Drained Reflecting Pool reveals Trump's 'American flag blue' liner is
now closer to gray
[July 16, 2026]
By MATTHEW DALY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The newly drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's
bottom surface has noticeably faded since it was lined with a protective
coating in a color President Donald Trump called “American flag blue”
this spring.
An Associated Press reporter and photographer viewed the fenced-off
Reflecting Pool on Wednesday from the top of the Washington Monument.
The new liner appears grayer than when the pool was repainted and
refilled with water in early June. Debris that had been visible earlier
this week after the pool was drained is now largely gone, after work
crews removed it.
Trump’s problem-plagued effort to revamp the landmark has stretched well
past his initial goal of having the Reflecting Pool ready by July 4 for
the nation’s 250th birthday.
The president at first suggested his renovations would cost $1.5
million, but the bill ballooned to more than $16 million by June.
Trump had said the repairs would last a century, but within days of the
project's initial completion last month, the water was beset by an algae
bloom and pieces of the new coating appeared to be peeling off the
bottom.
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.
Vandalism charges were levied against a former Olympic canoeist
Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for the peeling paint, though
critics allege it’s from shoddy repair work.
Trump has said, without citing evidence, that vandals made a “350-foot
gash” in the liner and caused other problems. No large slash marks were
immediately visible Wednesday from the Washington Monument view. It was
not possible to do a more up-close inspection of the entire pool due to
a dark fence surrounding the perimeter.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park
Service, said that after the water is drained and debris is cleaned from
Independence Day fireworks, the plan for the pool is straightforward:
“Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again." He was
speaking with conservative podcaster Katie Miller.
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The Reflecting Pool, Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol are seen,
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Court documents show that the National Park Service reported to the
U.S. Park Police a June 9 incident in which a sharp knife or razor
was said to have cut the pool’s new liner.
Former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn pleaded not guilty last week
in D.C. Superior Court to deliberately damaging the Reflecting Pool.
Hearn has said he reached inside the pool to examine the peeled
sealant and let go of a chunk when he was told to by a park worker.
His attorneys and other Trump administration critics have derided
the case as an abuse of prosecutorial power and maintain he is being
scapegoated for the poor job done fixing up the Reflecting Pool.
At least three other people have been charged in the same court with
misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the pool,
court records show. All three pleaded not guilty during initial
court appearances.
The work on the Reflecting Pool is just one of a number of projects
Trump has spearheaded across the nation’s capital. Most prominently,
he demolished the White House’s East Wing to build a $400 million
ballroom and plans to build a towering arch. between the Lincoln
Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
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