Trump says vandals hit the Reflecting Pool. Internal records tell another story.
Chunks of sealant began peeling off shortly after a $16.4 million renovation.
From The Times
June 24, 2026

President Trump has blamed major problems afflicting his $16.4 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on vandals working in the “dark of night.”

The Reflecting Pool is seen, with blue and green tints in the water.

Doug Mills/The New York Times

But government records tell another story.

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