The site of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool started as a stretch of land called Kidwell Flats. Only back in the early 20th century, it wasn’t so much “land” as a mosquito swamp. So the Army Corps of Engineers dumped 12 million cubic yards of Potomac river mud on top of it. That’s what the original asphalt and tile pool was built on — riverbed mud. The integrity of the structure has been leaking, sinking, and failing since it was first completed in 1923. Bandaids were thrown on it periodically, but it wasn’t until the Obama administration that the underlying problem was actually addressed. The pool was rebuilt, it was expensive ($34 million), and algae still bloomed once it was reopened. Still, I give Obama a lot of credit for finally tackling the necessary, costly renovations. As for the algae, the particular depth of the stagnant water combined with the DC climate is all but an invitation for cyanobacteria to go hog wild in there.
So, do I similarly give the current president a pass on algae blooming immediately after his renovations? NO, I do not! Because as per usual, President Dumbf–k’s changes were all surface no substance, enacted brazenly without federal oversight, and undertaken with pernicious, politicized commentary. Trump has constantly framed the latest pool refurbishments as fixing what Obama didn’t do right, so for it all to blow up in Don’s face in such neon fashion is exactly what he deserves. I was all set to write about just how vast this algae bloom is, when lo and behold, another problem emerged: the new blue-hued lining is already peeling. After only two weeks.
Cracks in the system: Some blue material at the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is peeling off, days after the pool was painted blue and refilled as part of a multi-million dollar renovation ordered by President Donald Trump. On Thursday at the National Mall, CNN observed a flap of blue material that was partially attached to the bottom in one area of the pool and floating toward the top. It is unclear if the material is paint or sealant, and it’s unclear what caused it to come up. The Department of the Interior did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The renovator responds… kind of: Shown pictures and videos of the materials, Eddie Wood, who owns Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia-based firm hired to renovate the pool, said the images do not provide enough information “to tell exactly what that is.” “There’s several things that we’ve got to address when we come back for maintenance, and anything like that will be addressed, if it’s a problem,” Wood said.
An expert weighs in: Tim Auerhahn, a pool infrastructure expert and the chairman of the Aquatic Council, said it’s difficult to tell from the videos what was causing the “apparent delamination.” “A coating system can fail for several reasons, including substrate preparation, surface contamination, application conditions, adhesion issues, product selection, mechanical damage, environmental exposure, or a combination of factors,” Auerhahn said. The larger question, he added, is whether this represents a localized issue in that part of the pool or a larger, more systemic issue with the coating. “If the coating is losing adhesion in multiple locations, that could indicate a more significant concern,” he said.
The algae of it all: But it didn’t take long for many of the same issues to resurface. Not long after the newly renovated pool was filled with water earlier this month, algae again discolored the water. Earlier this week, in an apparent effort to remediate that discoloration, workers were seen pouring jugs of hydrogen peroxide into the pool and deployed what an Interior spokesperson described as “advanced nanobubbler technology.” As of Thursday afternoon, the pool was still green in large sections, with algae visible.
What?! The advanced nanobubbler technology didn’t work?? Not the “state of the art ozone nanobubbler filtration” the Department of Interior has been touting?? Surely you jest?!! Ok, I’ve since learned that nanobubble technology is a real thing, but I also can’t be the only one who heard “nanobubbles” and immediately conjured an image of farting in the bathtub. Also, c’mon, it’s just plain funny sounding! “The nanobubbler is malfunctioning!!” (Yes, I am a child. No, I do not apologize for that.) As for the work done by Trump’s handpicked pool guy under a $14 million no-bid contract already falling apart… if you’re surprised, the joke’s on you. There have always been structural issues with the Reflecting Pool; not one of them has ever been that the water wasn’t “American-flag blue” enough. The one thing the pool is accurately reflecting right now is the ineptitude of this administration. If the hydrogen peroxide somehow turns out to be the culprit for the lining falling apart, I call Bingo.
>Give $14M no-bid contract to your friend to paint the pool blue
>Pool turns green anyway because algae grows in warm stagnant water
>Pour hydrogen peroxide into the pool to kill the algae
>The hydrogen peroxide peels off the blue paint https://t.co/QGJoHWioPz— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) June 18, 2026
Went back to the reflecting pool with a waterproof camera. Here’s what it looks like underwater where a section has peeled up and was removed. pic.twitter.com/jWS9LtGGZE
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) June 19, 2026
I’m sorry, no. This is not the guy who did the reflecting pool. No. Come on. We’re just putting a hat on a hat here.
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/u…— Philip Bump (@pbump.com) June 18, 2026 at 9:50 PM
