Paint begins to peel in Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool days after renovation U.S. President Donald Trump again stated this Monday (22) that the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington was "vandalized" and said that chemicals were illegally placed in the water. Trump did not present evidence. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The paint of the reflecting pool, a postcard of the United States capital, began to peel off the bottom of the pool just over a week after the end of the renovation at the site, ordered by Trump. "A cut about 90 meters long was made, chemicals were illegally placed in the water," Trump wrote in a post on his social network Truth Social. The U.S. president also threatened those responsible with prison: "There is a 10-year prison sentence for the destruction, or even for the attempted destruction, of this type of heritage — and it will be applied in full!". In the post, Trump also cited the appearance of a large drawing with what appear to be the numbers “8647” on the National Mall lawn: "The beautiful new lawn was destroyed with a gigantic “86 47” chemically engraved". Context: The term “8647” was adopted by opponents of President Donald Trump as a protest against his government.
Trump allies and the U.S. Department of Justice stated that this could be interpreted as an incitement to violence. The numerical sequence refers to the slang “86”, originating from the restaurant industry, which means to kick out or get rid of something, and to Trump as the 47th U.S. president. Authorities are investigating what appeared to be a large tracing of the term '8647' on the National Mall lawns in Washington. Reuters/Nathan Howard $14.7 million renovation The historic pool was drained and renovated for the 250th anniversary celebrations of U.S. Independence.
The work had a $14.7 million contract (about R$ 75.6 million) without a bidding process. The American president's wish was to remove the greenish tone of the reflecting pool, derived from the proliferation of algae, and paint the bottom blue.
However, on Thursday (18), less than two weeks after Trump announced the completion of the work, visitors to the Lincoln Memorial began to notice that the paint of the reflecting pool was peeling off the bottom and mixing with the water, which still showed a greenish hue from algae. See in the photo below. Photo montage shows the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington D.C., in the United States, on June 12, 16, and 18, 2026, after renovations to the reflecting pool to paint it blue. REUTERS/Eric Lee/Evan Vucci/Annabelle Gordon The work on the Lincoln Memorial pool was also part of Trump's broad plans to reshape the U.S. capital, Washington D.C.
The American president's plans also include the construction of a new ballroom where the East Wing of the White House used to be and the construction of a large arch near Arlington National Cemetery, for example. Trump announced on June 6 that the work on the pool had been completed. By Tuesday, workers had already begun pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool to combat an algae bloom that turned it green, instead of the expected dark blue. Paint peels off the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington D.C., in the United States, days after renovation ordered by President Donald Trump.
Photo from June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon The National Park Service, which manages the National Mall where the pool is located, had not officially commented on the incident as of the last update of this report. Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia-based company that carried out the renovation, had also not commented. Some visitors to the site expressed dissatisfaction with the result of the renovation.
"I want my money back after seeing this. I think our resources could be used much better elsewhere. I think this reflecting pool was beautiful before, before all this attention", said Robert Dale to the Reuters news agency while observing the scene. Trump has faced criticism for accelerating planning processes aimed at preserving the carefully designed appearance of Washington in his reform program, criticism that his administration has classified as partisan attacks, while praising the design skill of the real estate businessman. Paint peels off the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington D.C., in the United States, days after renovation ordered by President Donald Trump. Photo from June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon Paint peels off the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington D.C., in the United States, days after renovation ordered by President Donald Trump.
Photo from June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon Now on g1.
Sign in to comment on this article.
No approved comments yet.