The paint is already peeling after Trump ordered a spruce-up of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
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The paint on Washington’s newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was coming off the floor and into the green-colored water on Thursday, less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump declared the work complete.
The historic lake was completed and renovated this year in a $14.7-million US no-bid contract as part of Trump’s plans to revitalize America’s capital. Those plans include demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make way for a new ballroom and building a large arch near Arlington National Cemetery, which honors the nation’s war dead and other notable Americans.
Trump announced on June 6 that the swim operation was over. By Tuesday, crews had begun pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool to combat an algae bloom that turned it green, instead of the expected blue.
The US National Park Service, which operates the National Mall, where the pool is located, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia-based company that did the refinishing, also did not immediately respond.
Crews are working to remove algae from the renovated reflective pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, including adding hydrogen peroxide in an effort to combat the bloom that has turned the pool green.
Some who visited the place said they were not impressed.
“I want my money back after seeing this. I think our resources could be better spent elsewhere,” Robert Dale of Edwards, Colorado, told Reuters during the viewing. “I think this reflecting pool was great before, before all this maintenance.”
Trump has faced criticism for speeding up past procedures aimed at preserving Washington’s carefully crafted facade as part of his recovery plan. His administration has dismissed that criticism as partisanship while praising the real estate developer’s design skills.
Lawmakers also raised questions about his decision to accept a $400-million US jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One, which carries the president, his staff, security detail and journalists on his trips around the US and around the world.
Security experts have warned that overhauling the aircraft will require extensive security upgrades, communications upgrades to intercept anti-missile defense capabilities, and missile interception capabilities, all of which will take time and money to implement.
