Trump drains Lincoln Memorial pool to repair alleged vandal damage

Trump the president said crews emptied the historic Reflecting Pool to fix a 300-yard gash he blamed on vandals, with several people already charged over the site.

First Published: July 13, 2026, 6:00 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump said crews drained the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to repair damage he blamed on vandals.

Crews emptied the pool to fix a 300-yard gash and a torn basin liner, Trump said in a post on Truth Social on July 13, 2026 at 9:49 PM ET. He said the National Park Service removed the water to restore the watertight basin and would refill it soon.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “We drained the beautiful “Reflecting Pool” today in order to fix the scars and damage that was done by the Vandals two weeks ago. We wanted to wait until after the July 4th Weekend. The slashes were 300 yards long, and the floor of the pool was cut and then pulled upward, with great force, by these thugs. The Parks Department had to empty the water in order to fix the water tight basin. It will be refilled and put back into service soon. These Country hating sleazebags should pay a big price for the damage done. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT”

The draining marks the latest chapter in a renovation project that has drawn maintenance concerns and competing claims over what caused the damage, according to newsweek.com. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the work followed a plan and would let crews clear debris from Independence Day fireworks, repair damage and refill the pool, according to newsweek.com.

The project began in the spring, when Trump pledged to refurbish the century-old pool before the nation’s 250th anniversary. The work involved draining the pool, installing water-treatment infrastructure and applying a waterproof coating Trump described as “American flag blue,” according to newsweek.com. Problems surfaced soon after crews refilled the pool in June, with reports of algae growth and peeling coating.

The stakes reach far beyond one landmark. The Lincoln Memorial ranks among the most visited sites on the National Mall, drawing roughly 8.5 million visitors in 2024, while the capital welcomed more than 27 million visitors last year, according to newsweek.com. Closures at a marquee attraction disappoint tourists during the peak summer travel season and put a renovation Trump championed under public scrutiny.

For the average reader planning a trip to Washington, the closure means one of the country’s signature free attractions sits behind fencing. Visitors from Reno, Nevada, and Charleston, South Carolina, told reporters they felt disappointed to find the pool fenced off during their visits, according to newsweek.com.

Has this happened before? It has. The Trump administration also blamed vandals earlier in the summer, and court records showed the National Park Service reported a June 9 incident in which a knife or razor allegedly cut the liner, according to newsweek.com. Several people face misdemeanor charges tied to the site, and former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn pleaded not guilty and denied causing significant damage, according to newsweek.com.

The next steps rest with the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior, which oversee the refilling and any further repairs. Officials have not announced a firm date for returning the pool to service, saying only that it will reopen soon.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has framed national moments as happened before. Workers built and opened the 2,000-foot basin in 1922 to honor the 16th president, and it became the backdrop for the 1963 March on Washington, where roughly 250,000 people gathered as Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Crowds stood along its edges during memorials and celebrations for a century afterward. Each president who has stewarded the Mall has faced the burden of keeping that mirror of the capital clear for the millions who come to see it.