The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool sat completely drained of water Tuesday, three weeks after a massive algae bloom and reports of a peeling pool liner focused national attention on the renovation project championed by President Donald Trump.
Contract workers on Tuesday morning draped black mesh onto the wire fences surrounding the pool, blocking visitors from getting a close-up view of the pool from the walkways.
Trump addressed the draining of the pool and repairs in a Truth Social post Monday, reiterating his assertion that damage to the dark blue liner he had applied to the floor of the pool was done by “vandals.”
“The slashes were 300 yards long, and the floor of the pool was cut and then pulled upward, with great force, by these thugs,” Trump said. The National Park Service emptied the water to fix the watertight basin, which will be “refilled and put back into service soon,” according to the post.
