National Park Service authorities are nearly finished draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday afternoon, with new photos showing the water level subsiding and revealing the pool’s concrete surface.The draining follows weeks of sparring in the Beltway between protesters gathering at the pool and the Trump administration, as the water filled with algae following President Donald Trump’s multimillion-dollar renovation of the facility. Trump had alleged several vandals caused extensive damage to the reflecting pool after the renovation, writing on Truth Social that a “300 foot long gash” was carved into the surface.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as seen on Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that crews would drain the pool for a second time to repair and clean it following months of maintenance issues. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)
“Of the MANY Statues and Fountains that we rebuilt, renovated, cleaned, and fixed, the only one that was Vandalized was the Reflecting Pool, which is being taken care of, ASAP!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in June.
Law enforcement officials began patrolling the pool on the National Mall in response to the controversies.The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as seen on Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)
