Story perspectives

Trump Orders $14.7 M Reflecting Pool Drain, Garcia Pushes Transparency

6/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump announced the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be drained for repairs after algae growth and paint failure.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers rebuked Rep. Robert Garcia’s inquiry, saying he opposes Trump’s safety effort.
Rep. Robert Garcia sent letters to Green Water Solutions and Atlantic Industrial Coatings demanding details on the $14.7 million renovation.
White House officials said nanobubble ozone technology resolved the algae problem in the reflecting pool.

History

Historical Context

President Gerald Ford’s 1975 $2.5 million restoration, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, repaired the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool originally designed by Henry Bacon and dedicated in 1922. The pool later hosted the 1963 March on Washington, drawing about 250,000 people, and the 2009 Obama inauguration. Trump’s 2021 decision to drain it echoes past federal preservation efforts.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump announced the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be drained for repairs after algae growth and paint failure.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers rebuked Rep. Robert Garcia’s inquiry, saying he opposes Trump’s safety effort.
Rep. Robert Garcia sent letters to Green Water Solutions and Atlantic Industrial Coatings demanding details on the $14.7 million renovation.
White House officials said nanobubble ozone technology resolved the algae problem in the reflecting pool.

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