The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of the many reflecting pools in Washington, D.C. Dedicated in 1922, it is a 2,030-by-167-foot (619 by 51 m) concrete-bottomed rectangular pool located on the National Mall, in-between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
In April 2026, President Donald Trump announced the resurfacing of the concrete bottom of the pool, in a color he called "American flag blue", had begun. The reason given by Trump and the Trump administration for this project was to make the pool "beautiful" and to remove algae. While the exact color of "American flag blue" remains unknown, some sources have suggested that the color could be "Old Glory Blue" or some other similar color. Trump chose the color, contractor and other factors without typical reviews by federal agencies, opportunity for public comment, or congressional approval.Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which had previously performed work at the Trump National Golf Club, Virginia, was provided its first federal contract, a no-bid contract, to fix leaks from the joints in the Reflecting Pool and waterproof the pool's concrete bottom. On May 8, the Interior Department said they planned to pay $13.1 million for the project. The project also included a new water purification system to be installed by the company Greenwater Services, which is owned by John Cafaro, a neighbor of Trump's at Mar-a-Lago; the company secured a no-bid contract for the work. On May 11, nonprofit group The Cultural Landscape Foundation sued the Trump administration to prevent the project from continuing.
Post-renovation operation
By June 5, the work had been completed and the Reflecting Pool had begun to be refilled with water.Algae reappeared in the pool within days of the project's completion and subsequent refilling of the pool. National Park Service workers have used hydrogen peroxide to help remove the algae in the Reflecting Pool, as well as the manual vacuuming of said algae. The blue resurfacing material used has also begun to peel off since the completion of the project. Donald Trump has claimed that the peeling material was due to vandalism, while multiple media outlets have noted there is no evidence for this claim.
Bar's Open! What'll you have?
Is the reflecting pool turning into a literal swap an ironic metaphor or one of trumps super clever trolls?
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of the many reflecting pools in Washington, D.C. Dedicated in 1922, it is a 2,030-by-167-foot (619 by 51 m) concrete-bottomed rectangular pool located on the National Mall, in-between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
In April 2026, President Donald Trump announced the resurfacing of the concrete bottom of the pool, in a color he called "American flag blue", had begun. The reason given by Trump and the Trump administration for this project was to make the pool "beautiful" and to remove algae. While the exact color of "American flag blue" remains unknown, some sources have suggested that the color could be "Old Glory Blue" or some other similar color. Trump chose the color, contractor and other factors without typical reviews by federal agencies, opportunity for public comment, or congressional approval.Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which had previously performed work at the Trump National Golf Club, Virginia, was provided its first federal contract, a no-bid contract, to fix leaks from the joints in the Reflecting Pool and waterproof the pool's concrete bottom. On May 8, the Interior Department said they planned to pay $13.1 million for the project. The project also included a new water purification system to be installed by the company Greenwater Services, which is owned by John Cafaro, a neighbor of Trump's at Mar-a-Lago; the company secured a no-bid contract for the work. On May 11, nonprofit group The Cultural Landscape Foundation sued the Trump administration to prevent the project from continuing.
Post-renovation operation
By June 5, the work had been completed and the Reflecting Pool had begun to be refilled with water.Algae reappeared in the pool within days of the project's completion and subsequent refilling of the pool. National Park Service workers have used hydrogen peroxide to help remove the algae in the Reflecting Pool, as well as the manual vacuuming of said algae. The blue resurfacing material used has also begun to peel off since the completion of the project. Donald Trump has claimed that the peeling material was due to vandalism, while multiple media outlets have noted there is no evidence for this claim.