Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Painted Blue on Trump's Orders, Already Peeling

The floor of the massive reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, which was painted blue on Donald Trump's orders ahead of the US 250th anniversary celebrations, has begun deteriorating after just weeks of use. Paint is peeling from the pool bottom and algae has turned the water murky. The $16 million renovation has attracted public ridicule.

The renovation of the famous reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, which was supposed to make the iconic landmark more presentable for the US 250th anniversary celebrations, has begun to deteriorate after only a few weeks of use.

$16 million for blue

Donald Trump ordered the historic reflecting pool painted blue, calling the new shade "American Flag Blue." The work cost taxpayers approximately $16 million and the contract was awarded to a company close to the president, bypassing a public tender process. Trump confidently declared that the new coating would last up to 50 years.

Reality proved disappointing. Photos taken in Washington this week show that the paint coating on the pool bottom has begun peeling, with chunks protruding above the water catching the attention of passersby.

Algae and murky water

The problems are not limited to peeling paint alone. Aerial photographs taken on 16 June 2026 revealed that the pool surface was covered with green algae. The following day, workers sprayed hydrogen peroxide into the water to combat algae growth, but some of the pool water remained murky and the original blue color of the bottom did not return.

Ironically, this expensive blue coating was supposed to improve the pool's reflective quality; the previous grey concrete also collected algae and turned green. Designed as a quick and cheap solution, the project has so far failed to achieve even that objective.