HA Viewpoint | In a bid to dazzle the world for the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence, the Trump administration spent a fortune renovating one of Washington D.C.’s most iconic landmarks: the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. But the glitter didn’t last. Less than two weeks after completion, the pool is already plagued by debris and peeling paint. While the White House blames “vandalism,” media outlets and experts are pointing fingers at poor craftsmanship. With the nation’s birthday countdown ticking away, this once-pristine pool is now facing an urgent, embarrassing “redo.”
According to reports from the Associated Press, algae growth in the Reflecting Pool has been a headache for American authorities for nearly a century. Recently, the government dropped $16.4 million on a renovation project. President Trump personally chose the “American Flag Blue” coating for the pool floor, aiming to make the water sparkle during the national celebration. The pool was completely drained in April and refilled only after the renovation finished this month. However, the results were dismal. Within two weeks, green algae began surfacing, and the new “flag blue” coating started flaking off. The waterproofing layer also failed; last Friday, a large chunk of waterproof membrane floated to the surface, attracting onlookers. AP journalists subsequently found various fragments of construction materials littering the water.
On the 22nd, Trump attempted to shift the blame, attributing the pool’s miserable state to “human sabotage.” He insisted the renovation was “perfect.” According to Trump, the algae appeared because someone dumped fertilizer into the water, while the damage to the waterproof layer was caused by vandals using box cutters or other knives with excessive force. He revealed that law enforcement had arrested five suspects recently, with another five under investigation. Taking to social media, he warned that such acts of destruction or attempted destruction would result in a 10-year prison sentence.
However, multiple U.S. media outlets have pointed out that Trump’s claims lack any solid evidence, and the White House has failed to provide proof. Experts quoted by National Public Radio (NPR) stated that damaging the pool’s coating requires significant effort and is “almost impossible to penetrate.” Furthermore, The Guardian noted that the five suspects might simply be curious pedestrians or tourists who picked up floating material fragments, only to be labeled as “vandalism.” Hern, a U.S. canoe sprinter who has competed in three Olympics, shared his experience: while passing by, he simply reached into the water to try and remove a piece of construction material mixed with algae. He was immediately arrested and detained for nearly five hours. “I didn’t destroy any facilities,” Hern said. “I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
As public outrage grows, the contractors behind the renovation are also coming under scrutiny. USA Today reported that this project is one of several infused with “Trump’s personal interests.” From the very beginning, the Trump administration skipped the bidding process, citing the need for speed. Investigations revealed that Atlantic Industrial Coating, the company handling the project, had never worked on federal government projects before. However, the company has partnerships with Trump at his golf club in Virginia. Meanwhile, the owner of the water purification company, John Cafaro, is not only a donor to Trump’s presidential campaign but also his neighbor at Mar-a-Lago.
In response to the escalating situation, security around the landmark has been tightened. For the first time in recent memory, the National Guard has been deployed to assist local law enforcement. According to ABC News, the federal government dispatched approximately 2,400 National Guard members to Washington D.C. last August under the guise of combating “out-of-control crime.” Their mission, described as “making Washington D.C. safe and beautiful,” is set to continue until the end of this year.
This renovation project, widely criticized as a “shoddy job” (a literal translation of the Chinese idiom for poor quality construction), seems unable to avoid a complete “rework.” Over the weekend, the White House held an emergency meeting with the project’s contracting head. The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority has also issued drainage permits, signaling that the pool will likely need to be drained and redone from scratch.
