{"id":2510,"date":"2026-07-11T12:03:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T12:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=2510"},"modified":"2026-07-11T12:03:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T12:03:58","slug":"crews-are-draining-the-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-again-as-part-of-trumps-troubled-revamp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=2510","title":{"rendered":"Crews are draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool again as part of Trump\u2019s troubled revamp"},"content":{"rendered":"
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…<\/strong><\/div>

By WILL WEISSERT<\/strong><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Crews are again draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as President Donald Trump\u2019s problem-plagued effort to revamp the waterway pushes well past his initial goal of having it ready by July 4 to mark the nation\u2019s 250th birthday.<\/p>

Read more Today in History: July 11, train bombing in Mumbai kills more than 200<\/a><\/p>\n

The president at first suggested his renovations would last a century. But, within weeks of the project originally reaching completion last month, the water was beset by an algae bloom and pieces of the new coating appeared to be peeling off the bottom.<\/p>\n

Trump has blamed the peeling on vandals, though critics allege it\u2019s from shoddy repair work.<\/p>\n

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park Service, told conservative podcaster Katie Miller in an interview released earlier this week that the new round of draining was planned. He also said that the water might still contain debris from an extensive Independence Day fireworks display over the National Mall.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrain the water, clean up the fireworks stuff,\u201d Burgum told Miller, who is the wife of deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller. \u201cRepair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The work on the Reflecting Pool is just one of a number of projects Trump has spearheaded across the nation\u2019s capital. Most prominently, he demolished the White House\u2019s East Wing to build a $400 million ballroom and plans to build a towering arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.<\/p>\n

He initially announced his intentions to beautify the Reflecting Pool this spring, saying he wanted it completed before the nation\u2019s 250th birthday celebrations.<\/p>

\n<\/div>\n

Water was drained and Trump directed that the bottom be painted what he called \u201cAmerican flag blue.\u201d In May, the president posted on his social media site of the pool: \u201cThe goal is to have it done, at this higher level, prior to July 4th \u2014 We are ahead of schedule!\u201d<\/p>\n