President Trump said the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial was destroyed. Was it?
President Trump said vandals damaged the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. He was arrested, but is there any evidence of property damage?
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., is under renewed scrutiny just weeks after renovations were completed, with claims of green algae, peeling paint and possible online sabotage.
The project, announced by President Donald Trump in April, was initially billed as a short-term effort but has been extended until early June. After reopening, the pool’s long-standing discoloration returned, and images of green water and peeling paint were widely shared, sparking reactions and memes online, and experts say the problem could persist until temperatures cool in the fall.
“In a few weeks, there will be the most beautiful reflecting pool you’ve ever seen between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial,” President Trump said at the time. The renovations ultimately lasted several weeks and were completed in early June.
Images of the pool’s condition, including green water and peeling blue paint, were widely shared on social media.
Contributor: Michelle Del Rey, USA TODAY
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.
