President Donald Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., was vandalized after a renovation costing more than $14 million, as federal crews continue efforts to control an algae bloom in the newly refilled pool.
President Donald Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalized, claiming in a Friday post on Truth Social that someone used chemicals on or around the pool.
Trump wrote that the damage was on “the inside and outside” of the reflecting pool, which sits on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. He compared the alleged incident to recent chemical damage that had been reported elsewhere on the Mall.
Trump also referenced the appearance of the numbers “86 47,” which he linked to what his administration has described as a potential threat. The numbers had been reported previously in connection with a separate incident involving discolored grass on the National Mall. Federal officials said the U.S. Park Police and the National Park Service were investigating.
The claims come as the National Park Service has been working to address an algal bloom that appeared soon after the reflecting pool was refilled following its renovation. In recent days, crews have used chemical treatments and an ozone “nanobubble” approach intended to reduce algae growth.
Contract records and reporting by major outlets have put the renovation and related work at more than $14 million, with at least $14.8 million in awarded contracts cited in recent coverage. The pool first opened in 1922, and algae blooms have been a recurring maintenance issue over the decades.
Federal officials have not publicly released evidence establishing the cause of the alleged vandalism or detailed the extent of any damage to the pool’s surface. The Park Service’s ongoing work has focused primarily on controlling algae and maintaining water quality ahead of major summer tourism and holiday crowds.
