Workers clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall on June 25, 2026, in Washington.
Anna Moneymaker Getty Images
A group of Senate Democrats are investigating President Donald Trump’s overhaul of the Washington show pool, which has come under scrutiny for its budget and rapid decline.
Democrats, in a Thursday letter led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee member Martin Heinrich, DN.M., and addressed to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, argued that “the American people should know why the renewables project failed and the corrective actions the Department is taking to address this ongoing issue.”
“Since the restructuring was announced, the project has been plagued by many problems – raising serious questions about project management, contracting processes, quality control, and financial responsibility,” the senators wrote.
Trump’s renovation of the lagoon has drawn national attention, as his resurfacing of the “blue American flag” began to peel off and algal blooms increased. The renovation was intended to improve the lake’s aesthetic qualities and reduce algae growth and was hailed by the White House as a success despite the obvious problems.
Trump acknowledged that there were problems with paint and algae, but, without evidence, blamed the shallow pool’s problems on the wreckers.
On Wednesday, Trump posted a photo of the surface of the lake on his Truth Social account and said, “This is a solid rubber site – No Paint – Before the Vandals cut and split it!”
Chipped paint and algae at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after being painted blue, June 22, 2026.
Aaron Schwartz Bloomberg | Getty Images
Democrats noted that while Trump initially said the pool renovation would cost $1.8 million, it has now reached more than $16 million, ABC News reported last week, citing federal contract documents.
“The problems facing the demonstration team are not just maintenance issues, but failures in project execution and government oversight,” they wrote. “After the award of a no-bid contract and a significant increase in the cost of the project, the public was assured that this revitalization project would restore one of the nation’s most iconic landmarks. Sadly, that has not happened.”
The pool is now expected to be released again for further maintenance.
“If a project of this magnitude and cost cannot continue to operate for a month after its completion, serious questions should be asked about the planning, implementation, evaluation process and the Ministry’s acceptance of the completed project,” they continued.
The senators demanded answers from Burgum about the project. The Department of the Interior owns the National Park Service, which manages the National Mall and its monuments.
The Department of the Interior, when asked by CNBC to comment on the letter, responded “What failure?” and included a link to X’s post from the White House’s official account with four photos of a pool of light showing the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
Among the answers officials want 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 complete accounting of the funds spent on the project and their sources.
Workers open a valve at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following the completion of recent renovations in Washington, June 22, 2026.
Kent Nishimura AFP | Getty Images
Lawmakers also want a full list of expected answers as to why the department chose to issue a non-application contract and whether the contractor will be held accountable. They also asked whether the department had “conducted independent engineering, construction, or construction quality reviews of reported peeling, cracking, and failure of the coating system,” or investigations into algal blooms.
The White House, in a press release on Thursday, stated that Trump has been proven correct in his claims of vandalism by pointing to the video surveillance by the Park Police officers trying to identify him.
The video shows a person reaching into the pool and is seen pulling something out of it. It is not clear from the video what exactly the person removed. Trump has repeatedly said that the vandals cut the area and lift it up.
“This is not a random act of evil – it is intended to destroy anti-American crackpots who despise a strong, proud and beautiful country,” the White House said in a statement. “President Trump will not be stopped from making our Think Tank better.”
