U.S. President Donald Trump has defended the controversial renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, insisting that vandalism—not poor workmanship—is responsible for the persistent problems affecting the landmark.
Speaking on Monday during an exchange with CBS News senior White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe, Trump claimed that vandals cut a massive slit stretching approximately 350 feet across the Reflecting Pool, causing damage that has contributed to the peeling of paint and other issues at the recently renovated site.
The Reflecting Pool, located between the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., underwent a $14.7 million sealant project aimed at addressing maintenance concerns. However, the project has faced criticism due to ongoing paint deterioration and recurring algae growth.
When questioned about evidence supporting his allegations, Trump maintained that proof exists and would eventually be made public.
“Well, let’s put it this way, when you have a 350, I think it’s 350, not 250, when you have a 350-foot slit, from one end to the other, you think that’s proof?” the president said.
O’Keefe noted that journalists who visited the site found no visible evidence of such damage. In response, Trump suggested reporters contact the National Park Service or Interior Department officials.
“You’d have to go see the Parks Department. They’ll show it to you, or see the secretary, but I saw it,” Trump said, likely referring to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “They cut it very violently. The same thing with the floor, they cut it, and then they lifted it.”
The president further stated that photographs documenting the alleged damage exist but declined to release them immediately.
“At the right time you’ll see it. You’ll see it in court,” Trump said, adding that the evidence would emerge during legal proceedings.
Trump also suggested, without providing supporting evidence, that someone may have deliberately introduced fertilizer into the water to encourage algae growth in the pool.
“If you put fertilizer in the water, you get algae, but somebody said they might have put fertilizer. They did something to create the algae,” he said.
According to the U.S. Park Police, five individuals have been arrested in connection with vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, while five others have received federal citations. However, neither the National Park Service nor the contractor responsible for the renovation has publicly linked the alleged vandalism to the peeling sealant.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings (AIC), the company awarded the no-bid contract for the project, acknowledged that some areas of the pool require repairs. The company emphasized that the affected sections represent only a small portion of the seven-acre project and do not indicate a failure of the overall liner system.
In a statement, AIC said repairs cannot be completed until the pool is drained. The company added that the necessary work will be carried out under warranty once conditions allow.
The National Park Service and the Department of the Interior have not yet responded publicly to requests for comment regarding the president’s allegations.
