President Donald Trump positioned himself as a swimming pool expert while promoting the renovations he ordered for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool this year, claiming to have installed “more than 100” pools in his career. However, after spending $14 million in taxpayer funds, the Reflecting Pool now appears arguably worse than before.
Algae and Peeling Coating Plague Renovation
Aside from the bright green hue of the water — reportedly one of the largest algae blooms in recent years — the “industrial-grade swimming pool topping” chosen by Trump is already peeling off in sheets. Visitors noticed the floating material on Thursday, with some even taking samples of the coating as souvenirs of Trump’s Washington.
A man named Sean, who has experience with swimming pool coatings, told HuffPost he was not surprised by the peeling. “This is an epoxy,” he explained. “It’s something you’d use on a concrete pool with leaking issues. But in a pool, you’re dealing with much less square footage, so you can apply special treatments to prevent it from coming back up.”
Controversial Contract and Rapid Deterioration
The fresh layer of “American flag blue” coating was part of a series of renovation efforts Trump spearheaded around the capital ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The project was controversial from the start, as Trump awarded the hefty contract to a handpicked vendor instead of following standard bidding protocols to avoid favoritism.
Once the coating dried and water was pumped back in, algae began appearing within days. Algae has been a recurring issue for the pool, but the renovation’s purpose was to clean it up. Instead of a crystal-clear oasis, Trump’s efforts resulted in a swamp-like condition.
Failed Remediation Efforts
Workers have been observed dumping gallons of hydrogen peroxide into the pool and wading in to filter the water by hand. The Trump administration blamed leftover algae in the pipes and claimed that solutions, including a nanobubbler, were working. The Interior Department even declared the problem solved on Wednesday, posting a misleading photograph showing a bright blue sky reflected in the water, making it appear blue. However, HuffPost confirmed on Thursday that the water remains green, with parts of the bottom layered with muck.
Despite the issues, local ducks have continued their activities without complaint. Trump accused his Democratic predecessors of causing problems with the reflecting pool, which he then supposedly had to fix.
