Blue Paint Peels From Lincoln Memorial Pool After Renovation

New signs of trouble have emerged at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after sections of blue paint were found peeling from the bottom of the landmark just days after a $14.2 million renovation project ordered by President Donald Trump.

Photographs and video footage showed dark blue sheets of paint detached from the pool floor, with some fragments floating on the water’s surface. The issue comes as the National Park Service continues efforts to combat recurring algae growth that has once again turned much of the pool green.

Officials have not determined the cause of the peeling paint. The development occurred shortly after National Park workers poured containers of 12% hydrogen peroxide into the reflecting pool in an attempt to eliminate the algae bloom. Despite those efforts, the algae has returned.

Trump administration officials have pointed to previous presidential administrations as responsible for the algae problem, echoing criticism previously voiced by the president. However, questions remain about why the recent renovation project did not resolve the recurring issue.

Aerial images broadcast by ABC News highlighted the condition of the pool, showing dark blue coloring around the edges while large portions of the center appeared green from the algae growth.

President Trump has not publicly addressed either the renewed algae bloom or the peeling paint. Last week, however, he shared several articles on Truth Social that praised the renovation work carried out at the site.

The controversy has also drawn attention to a separate contract connected to the project. According to a report by The New York Times published Thursday night, a company owned by longtime Trump supporter and donor John J. Cafaro received a $1.7 million no-bid contract to install a water purification system for the reflecting pool. An Interior Department spokesperson told the newspaper that Cafaro’s Ohio-based company, Greenwater Services, has already established temporary purification facilities and is expected to install a permanent system this week. The spokesperson said the company was selected because it possessed the necessary expertise, workforce, and materials, while also stating there was no knowledge of Cafaro’s political affiliations during the selection process.

Legal challenges to the repainting project are also continuing. Last month, the nonprofit Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., arguing that the decision to repaint the reflecting pool was unlawful. The organization contends that the original dark gray floor was intentionally designed to create the appearance of greater depth and stronger reflections. Cultural Landscape Foundation President and CEO Charles Birnbaum criticized the blue redesign, saying, “A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.” The lawsuit seeks to halt the work and restore the pool to its original appearance.