Reflecting Pool drained again as issues plague Trump-backed renovation

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The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is being drained again for another round of repairs, marking another setback in President Trump’s multimillion-dollar renovation of the historic Washington, D.C. landmark.

Trump had hoped to have the pool ready to be showcased by July 4, when the nation would celebrate its 250th anniversary, but the project quickly ran into problems. Peeling paint was seen on the surface and green algae blooms were seen in the water, prompting yet another round of repairs.

The delay caused disappointment for tourists who traveled to Washington for the fourth in hopes of viewing the newly renovated pool.

“It kind of makes me sad a little bit,” Lindsay Anderson, a visitor from Nebraska, told DC News Now.

“I think it’s unfortunate that a lot of people are here in our nation’s capital.”

Anderson continued: “We’re here to see it, and we can’t really.”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in an interview with conservative podcaster Katie Miller that the repairs were planned to fix reported vandalism as well as any debris that may have fallen into the water from the massive 4th of July fireworks display over the National Mall.

“Drain the water, clean up the fireworks stuff,” Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park Service, told Miller. “Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.”

Trump has insisted that vandals were responsible for the damage to the 2,082-foot pool’s newly installed liner, and several arrests have been made in connection to vandalism.

Former Olympian David Hearn pleaded not guilty this week to a federal charge accusing him of damaging the pool’s two square foot sealant. He has denied allegations from prosecutors that he “forcefully and violently” ripped up the pool’s bottom liner, causing $1,000 in damage.

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