WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump displayed a rendering of proposed renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on June 3, 2026. President Trump ordered the reflecting pool repainted "American flag blue" ahead of the country's 250th anniversary.

The cost of the renovation increased from $13.1 million to over $14 million. Contractors utilized products from Rhino Linings, including "RHINO 405 A Thixotropic High Viscosity Epoxy Resin," for the project. OSHA data sheets indicate that RHINO 405 A Thixotropic High Viscosity Epoxy Resin is toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects and is a strong irritant.

Crews removed the pool's nanobubblers before the renovation project was finished. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was refilled on June 9, 2026. Patches of green algae appeared on the surface of the pool within days of it being refilled.

Interior Department spokesperson Katie Martin stated the algae was "residual" from supply lines that had been dormant during construction. Martin also stated that the president had "permanently resolved" issues with the pool. Officials promoted the use of high-tech nanobubble ozone technology and hydrogen peroxide to address the algae.

President Trump claimed on Truth Social that vandals sliced a "250-foot-long gash" into the pool lining and poured chemicals into the water. Investigators did not substantiate claims that vandalism caused the damage to the pool, although Park Police made five arrests and issued additional citations in connection with the damage. Rosalina Stancheva Christova, an aquatic ecology professor at George Mason University, identified the algae bloom as a Desmodesmus species. Christova stated the Desmodesmus species algae is "absolutely harmless" to humans and animals.