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Trump claims ‘vandals’ foiled his $14m bid to revamp DC’s reflecting pool. What actually happened?

issues with algae. ## **What color is** **the pool?** The bottom of the reflecting pool has historically been grayish, intended to reflect the monuments around it. But Trump sought to make the site “American flag blue

Algae thwarts Trump’s $14.2m attempt to turn reflecting pool ‘American flag blue’

Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool on 15 June 2026. Photograph: Ken Cedeno/Reuters The administration had claimed “residual” algae would be cleared in the immediate aftermath of the renovation. But it has proliferated amid warm weather

Trump's Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool makeover faces a lawsuit and a $13m price tag

reflecting pool is] going to work properly". The contract says that the work on the pool will be completed 22 May, a much quicker timeline than was originally expected and just in time for America

No-bid contract to turn DC’s reflecting pool blue goes to firm with ties to Trump

renovated a swimming pool at the president’s Virginia golf course. [The New York Times reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/us/politics/reflecting-pool-trump-contract.html) that the no-bid contract for the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool was given to [Atlantic Industrial

Trump's 'American flag blue' reflecting pool project gets a mixed reaction in D.C.

Lincoln Memorial. It's been the backdrop of plenty of historic moments, including presidential inaugurations and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. But the pool, built of asphalt

Veterans and relatives see no place for Trump's arch near Arlington National Cemetery

Memorial Bridge. But they were never constructed, even though the bridge project was completed nearly a century ago, as Sansone notes. [![The White House ballroom, reflecting pool resurfacing, Kennedy Center renovations and a triumphal arch

Opinion: Algae doesn't care about our party lines

renovation, the project has cost taxpayers more than $14 million and… the reflecting pool looks green. And I mean green. Like the Chicago River on St. Patrick's Day. But that river is dyed green

UK PM Keir Starmer resigns. And, US and Iran agree to roadmap for final deal

issues such as nuclear monitoring and sanctions. They also outlined a framework to cease military operations in Lebanon. Vice President Vance traveled to a Swiss resort over the weekend to work on the details

After Trump inspects Reflecting Pool, he says repair work will begin 'immediately'

renovation, including a fresh coat of blue paint, the historic structure continues to face issues - most prominently algae turning the water a bright shade of green. The pool may need to be drained and refilled

How and why algae clouded Trump's vision for an 'American flag blue' Reflecting Pool

renovation as an example. "Unlike under Obama and Biden, the National Park Service is actually maintaining the beautifully completed Reflecting Pool," they added. ### Responding with tiny bubbles and big vacuums ![Workers battle the fast-growing

At 10.15pm, do you know where Donald Trump is?

Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool with the caption “Dumacrats love sewage”. He called out the New York Times for reporting on his plan to revamp the reflecting pool, too, saying the paper

Transportation Secretary Duffy filmed a reality show, funded by firms he regulates

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/11/g-s1-121548/a-nonprofit-has-sued-the-federal-government-over-its-plans-to-paint-the-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-blue) "I wanted to lean into America's 250th birthday; Rachel and I actually met on a road trip on a reality TV show," Duffy said

First Thing: Trump backs G7 statement on Iran deal as domestic criticism grows

issues and has been strengthened by its chokehold on commercial shipping in the strait of Hormuz. - **What is the domestic criticism of the deal?** Many Senate Republicans said there were [still unanswered questions](https://www.theguardian.com

Trump's towering arch clears another federal hurdle, despite public pushback

reflecting pool resurfacing, Kennedy Center renovations and a triumphal arch are among the many changes Trump wants to make in D.C.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2835x2835+1085+0/resize/100/quality/85/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1c%2F02%2Ff18099434cdca3830d2a3babb7e5%2Fdiptych-3.jpg)](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/04/nx-s1-5798651/trump-dc-construction-tracker-ballroom-arch) ### [National](https://www.npr.org/sections/national/) ### [The many ways Trump wants to change

The many ways Trump wants to change D.C., from buildings to statues to parks

reflecting pool project gets a mixed reaction in D.C.](https://www.npr.org/2026/04/28/nx-s1-5802343/reflecting-pool-resurfacing-blue-trump) Trump has been talking publicly about fixing the pool since at least November 2025, but ramped up his efforts in April after what