Workers clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington on June 25, 2026.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images
A group of Senate Democrats is investigating President Donald Trump’s problematic renovation of Washington’s reflecting pool, which has drawn criticism for overspending and rapid deterioration.
Democrats argued in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday, led by ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., that “The American people deserve to know why the cleanup project failed and what corrective actions the Department is taking to address this ongoing problem.”
“Since the renovations were announced, the project has been plagued by a number of problems – raising serious questions about project management, contracting practices, quality control and fiscal responsibility,” the senators wrote.
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Trump’s renovation of the reflecting pool has drawn national attention as its new “American flag blue” surface began to peel and algae blooms. The renovation was intended to improve the pool’s reflective properties and reduce algae growth and was touted as a success by the White House despite obvious problems.
Trump has acknowledged problems with the paint and algae but, without evidence, has blamed the shallow pool’s problems on vandals.
On Wednesday, Trump posted a photo of the pool’s surface on his Truth Social account, saying, “This is the hard rubber surface – no paint – before the vandals cut it up and tore it apart!”
Chipped paint and algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after it was painted blue, June 22, 2026.
Aaron Schwartz | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Democrats noted that Trump originally said the mirror pool renovation would cost $1.8 million, but the cost has since ballooned to more than $16 million, ABC News reported last week, citing federal contract documents.
“The problems now facing the Reflecting Pool are not only maintenance issues, but also failures in project implementation and government oversight,” they wrote. “Following the award of a no-bid contract and a dramatic increase in project costs, the public was assured that the restoration project would restore one of the country’s most visible landmarks. Unfortunately, that has not happened.”
The pool is now expected to be drained again for further repairs.
“If such an expensive project of this magnitude cannot remain operational for a full month after its completion, serious questions must be raised regarding the planning, execution, inspection process and the Ministry’s acceptance of the completed work,” they continued.
The senators demanded answers from Burgum about the project. The Department of the Interior is home to the National Park Service, which manages the National Mall and its monuments.
When asked by CNBC for comment on the letter, the Interior Department responded: “What mistake?” and included a link to an X post from the official White House account with four images of the reflecting pond in which the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial are reflected.
Among the answers the senators are seeking is how much the project is now expected to cost and why the project has exceeded its original estimate of $1.8 million, as well as a full listing of the funds used for the project and their sources.
Workers turn on a valve at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after completing recent renovations in Washington, June 22, 2026.
Kent Nishimura | AFP | Getty Images
Lawmakers are also demanding a full list of expected additional repairs, as well as answers about why the department chose to award a no-bid contract and whether that contractor will be held accountable. They also asked whether the department had conducted “an independent engineering, architectural or construction quality assessment regarding the reported peeling, cracking and failure of the coating system” or an investigation into the algae blooms.
The White House argued in a news release Thursday that Trump was correct in his allegations of vandalism, pointing to surveillance video of a vandalist suspect that Park Police are trying to identify.
The video shows the person reaching into the pool and appearing to take something out. It’s unclear from the video what exactly the person removed. Trump has repeatedly claimed that vandals cut and lifted the surface.
“This is not random mischief – it is targeted sabotage by anti-American crackpots who despise a strong, proud and beautiful country,” the White House press release said. “President Trump won’t let anything stop us from making our reflecting pool beautiful.”
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