Visitors arriving at one of Washington’s most photographed landmarks were greeted by barriers on Friday.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool remains fenced off to the public—and as green as ever—in the wake of President Donald Trump’s botched makeover. Visitors arriving at one of Washington’s most photographed landmarks are now greeted by barriers surrounding the site, and the Trump administration has so far declined to say how long the fences will stay up.
“It still looks pretty green,” a young man taking photos through the wire fencing remarked to his female companion as the Daily Beast visited the site on Friday afternoon. The National Park Service says the temporary closure was needed to remove debris left behind by the Independence Day celebrations, inspect the pool, and complete draining and maintenance work.
Trump has repeatedly blamed “vandals” for ruining his vanity project, including Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who has been charged with destruction of property for allegedly removing pieces of blue paint from the refurbished pool. But Hearn, 67, pleaded not guilty on Thursday, prompting raucous scenes at the courthouse as supporters chanted his name and accused Trump of abusing the justice system.
“If he can be charged with a felony for touching the Reflecting Pool, every American is at risk—and every American should be alarmed about this prosecution,” Hearn’s lawyers, Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, said in a statement. Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn gestures while walking with his attorney Norm Eisen following Hearn’s arraignment on a felony destruction of property charge related to “vandalizing” the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, at DC Superior Court in Washington, D.C.
, U.S., July 9, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzThe latest repairs come after the Trump administration touted the refurbishment as part of its broader effort to beautify the nation’s capital ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. But the project soon ran into trouble. Within weeks of reopening, large sections of the pool’s newly coated surface—which Trump wanted painted “American Flag Blue”—began peeling, while the water took on a murky green appearance due to algae.
The project was initially estimated to cost $1.8 million, but the price tag is now at least $14.7 million. What’s more, the no-bid contract was handed to a Virginia-based company that had previously performed work on a swimming pool at one of the president’s golf clubs.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Interior Department to ask how long fences will block the much-loved landmark, which sits a few feet from the Lincoln Memorial steps where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous"I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963.
The department, which initially indicated that the repairs and post-America 250 cleanup would be completed by July 10, has yet to respond. However, Secretary Doug Burgum defended the project over the weekend and said the administration intends to continue working with the same contractors rather than rebid the work.
In an interview with Katie Miller, the wife of Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, released on Tuesday, Burgum also said they started draining the pool as planned after the July Fourth fireworks show, noting some of the fireworks debris was still in the water. The Reflecting Pool has become one of several high-profile beautification projects promoted by Trump in Washington this year.
The cascading fountain in Meridian Hill Park is seen with brown water following ongoing restoration work in Washington, D.C. , U.S., July 8, 2026. REUTERS/Brad UleryThe administration has also announced plans for a new White House ballroom, a giant arch near the Arlington Cemetery, and the restoration of 22 fountains across D.C.
Among them was the recently restored cascading fountain at Meridian Hill Park, which turned a putrid shade of brown on Wednesday and was a murky shade of green by Friday.
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