Why not visit the reflecting pool?Here’s what USA TODAY saw.
USA TODAY’s Michelle Del Rey visited the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool on June 29 and found it fenced off.
President Donald Trump shared several posts on his Truth Social account on July 5, explaining that renovations to the National Mall’s reflecting pool are nearing completion and that the water is “crystal clear.”
However, the post he referenced was shared with X on June 17, around the same time that the Reflecting Pool project was first deemed complete.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest news about reflecting pools.
President Trump resurfaces old X post
On July 5, President Donald Trump posted to his Truth Social account a screenshot of an undated memo written by Greg Wisher, a critical minerals consultant and deputy assistant secretary of the Interior.
In the memo, which is not on official letterhead, Wisher explains that thanks to “advanced nanobubbler technology,” the reflecting pool is now “crystal clear,” and that the National Park Service is “vacuuming up” the remains of dead algae.
“Vacuuming is the last maintenance step after refilling the pool and can be completed in a few days,” Wisher wrote alongside a photo of the pool and the Washington Monument.
The president also shared the same photo as a screenshot of an X post from the Interior Department press room that uses the same language that Wisher used in the memo. However, that X post was originally published on June 17, the same day the project was first declared complete.
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the old post shared by the president.
Burgum: less than 1/10 of 1% of reflective pool liners damaged
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum appeared on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos on July 5 to discuss ongoing renovations and algae issues at the reflecting pool.
Burkum also said that thanks to nanobubbler technology, which he said “didn’t exist before,” the water in the reflecting pool is now clear.
Mr. Stephanopoulos asked Mr. Burgum why the cost of the no-bid contract had ballooned from $2 million to more than $15 million, even though the pool amount had not yet been determined.
“Well, the problem is solved in the sense that we’re no longer leaking 45,000 gallons a day,” Burgum said.
He added that the 350-foot tear in the pool’s industrial liner, which President Trump has repeatedly blamed on “vandals” and the cause of the reflecting pool’s problems, is actually several smaller tears that add up to 350 feet. According to Burgum, the length is “less than 1/10th of 1% of the damaged industrial liner” and “99.99% of the pool bottom is perfect.”
Burkum said the government has video evidence and eyewitness accounts of those who destroyed the reflecting pool. Several photos and videos have emerged of tourists touching the water, but nothing has been released to suggest people cut the liner with razors or box cutters.
On July 2, a grand jury indicted Olympic canoeist David Hahn on charges of tampering with the pool. Hearn denied the charges and said he only touched the liner pieces after seeing them floating on the surface of the pool.
Burkum said in an interview that he thought the media should “move on” from the reflecting pool story and that the renovations were a “huge success.”
Drew Pittock covers trending news from around the country for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
