What to Know
Who could have predicted that Donald Trump’s plans to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool would result in such disaster for the condition of the landmark? Well, I guess plenty of people did. And now, they are saying “I told you so” in a major way because there are reports of the paint peeling off the bottom of the pool that also reportedly has algae growing in it.
And this is all just days after Trump’s multi-million-dollar plan went into action. It’s not clear what this means for the future of the Reflecting Pool and if there will be a permanent change that helps transform it back to what it looked like before, but peeling paint, discolored water, and blooming algae has definitely transformed it into a total embarrassment.
The Reflecting Pool’s paint is visibly peeling.
Went back to the reflecting pool with a waterproof camera. Here’s what it looks like underwater where a section has peeled up and was removed. pic.twitter.com/jWS9LtGGZE
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) June 19, 2026
In June 2026, Trump had the Reflecting Pool repainted what he calls “American flag blue” and then had the pool refilled. Just days after, though, issues started to arise with the condition of the pool, which had already seen problems over the years. It has had cracks over the years that led to gallons of water leaking out and the subsequent need for more water from DC to continuously fill it back up.
So when someone noticed on X that now that American flag blue paint on the bottom of the more than 300,000 square foot pool is peeling, if added to the disaster of Trump’s plans for the monument. In a post on X, someone shared a video as proof of the peeling paint, seemingly coming off the bottom of the pool in sheets.
They wrote, “Holy s–t! There are huge chunks of blue paint coming off the reflecting pool already…It seems the peroxide loosened things up, yikes!! THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE.”
It could be peeling paint or sealant of some kind. According to CNN, Eddie Wood, the owner of Atlantic Industrial Coatings which was hired for the job on the pool, it’s hard to confirm what the peeling substance is. Even though everyone else is pretty sure it’s paint.
“There’s several things that we’ve got to address when we come back for maintenance, and anything like that will be addressed, if it’s a problem,” he told the outlet.
People quickly noticed that the water turned green.
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, 2026, which was painted blue at the directive of U.S. President Trump, ahead of the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence, in Washington, D.C. REUTERS pic.twitter.com/AjY5SFoiWX
— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) June 18, 2026
The idea of the paint peeling on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool isn’t a wild stretch, considering the pool has also experienced algae blooming. So much for that cool deep blue that Trump apparently wanted for the overall appearance of the pool. Then again, algae issues have reportedly plagued the Reflecting Pool over the course of many different presidencies.
Barack Obama reportedly spent millions for an 18-month project meant to combat the algae problem. Trump apparently wanted to fix the issues for good. In doing so, though, he created more problems. If he could just take some accountability and give us all a “my bad,” we might be more forgiving.
In Trump’s case, the cost of the project, coupled with his motivation to seemingly make the Reflecting Pool shiny and blue rather than safe and long-lasting is an issue for some, who discussed the ongoing negative side effects on Reddit.
“The entire remodel was a scam regardless of the condition of the pool,” one user wrote on the post. “The contract to remodel the pool was given to Trump’s previous associates circumventing the congressional bidding process. Congress is supposed to represent the people and we are intended to control the purse strings of the government. The bidding process is in place to avoid cons exactly like this.”
The renovation cost more than $14 million.
If Trump hadn’t spent a reported $14.7 million, per The Hill, people might not be so upset that, well, it didn’t actually work. Whether the peeling paint on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool is actually paint, or maybe some kind of sealant, it’s another issue that is going to cost money to fix.
And you can’t help but wonder if it will be one of many problems saved for whoever succeeds Trump in the White House.
