Trump’s Reflecting Pool Disaster: $14.7M Down the Drain as Paint Peels Off
Days after an algae bloom transformed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool into a green-tinted swamp, the “American flag blue” paint is bubbling and peeling off the surface.
The shallow pool, touted by Donald Trump as “bigger than skyscrapers,” underwent a renovation featuring a dark blue shade and “advanced nanobubbler technology” to combat persistent algae issues.
However, shortly after workers refilled the pool, the algae returned with a vengeance.
Now, sections of the recently applied sealant in Trump’s requested blue hue are starting to peel away.
The president initially claimed that refurbishing the iconic 2,030-foot pool would cost $1.5 million and be completed in time for Fourth of July celebrations. The actual expenditure has ballooned to nearly $14.7 million, with costs expected to rise further for necessary repairs.
In April, the Trump administration awarded a no-bid contract worth nearly $7 million to Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC, a Virginia-based firm with no prior federal contracts.
This company received an additional $6.2 million in May, followed by another $1 million on June 3 and over $461,000 on June 15.
The administration bypassed the competitive bidding process, citing an urgent need for renovations that could cause “serious injury” to the government, though specifics on that “injury” remain unclear.
Recent analyses show that the pool has experienced more algae than at any recorded point in June over the past five years.
Workers in neon vests were spotted dumping bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the pool earlier this week.
The Interior Department claimed this chemical treatment was “milder than chlorine” and posed “no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment.”
However, this treatment appears to have contributed to the blue paint peeling and raised phosphate levels in the water “far higher than what is recommended to keep algae at bay,” according to testing conducted by a swimming pool store.
In April, Trump criticized the monument, stating it “never looked great” because the stone at the bottom of the pool wasn’t designed for prolonged submersion. He vowed to clean the “filthy” and “disgusting” water, which he later praised as “clean” and “beautiful” after refilling.
The administration is now calling in reinforcements to tackle the algae crisis.
An Interior Department spokesperson stated, “Unlike the Obama and Biden administrations that shamefully chose to let our national treasures descend into filth and disrepair, the Trump administration is marshaling in the necessary resources to ensure the capital city of the most powerful country in the world is absolutely stunning in honor of our historic 250th celebrations.”
“It is beyond comprehension why anyone would be upset that President Trump is making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Again,” they added.
When questioned about why Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC received multiple rounds of funding, an Interior Department spokesperson explained that the National Park Service “chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations.”
“The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument,” they stated.
“The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project — more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th,” they concluded.
