A crack in the recently applied sealant is visible through the algae-rich green water at the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 18, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Oliver Contreras | AFP | Getty Images
The paint on Washington’s Reflecting Pool is peeling after renovations ordered by President Donald Trump, and he now claims someone intentionally damaged it.
“A serious incident has occurred due to vandalism at our beautiful reflecting pool,” he posted on his social media site Friday night. “Just as they destroyed the lawn outside the pool three days ago, they did everything possible to damage the inside surface that had just been installed.” He did not provide any details to support his claim.
The U.S. Park Police, which is responsible for law enforcement and maintenance of the National Mall, the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior did not respond to requests for comment.
The Washington Post reported that park police arrested someone on Friday for stripping the pool’s paint, an act that did not take into account the cloud of algae in the green water or the bands of blue paint that had flaked off the bottom.
Mr. Trump claimed that something nefarious was happening. “It’s no different than the chemicals used on the National Mall. They used the same on the Reflecting Pool to destroy and degrade our beautiful work,” he posted on Truth Social.
It was a reference to the discovery the week before of large numbers “86 47” carved into the discolored lawn of the National Mall. Authorities say the numbers may have been meant to threaten Trump, the 47th president. The number 86 may be slang meaning “to remove.” They are investigating.
The numbers “86 47” on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial on Thursday, June 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. A mixed Ultimate Fighting Championship event scheduled for June 14 on the White House grounds violates National Park Service environmental review regulations, two Virginia residents claim in a lawsuit challenging the event.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Trump’s claims come after several days of negative attention over the condition of the pool, which he has spent more than $14 million renovating in preparation for the upcoming America 250 celebration. Algae was rapidly growing in the pool, and President Trump tried to turn the water back to a greenish color by painting the bottom “American Flag Blue.”
Federal workers treated the pool with chemicals to kill algae. Now the blobs of blue paint have disappeared, exposing the rocky bottom.
