Blue paint seen chipping off Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after algae turns it green

Trump administrationBlue paint seen chipping off in Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after algae turns it greenTrump’s effort to renovate the pool on the National Mall ahead of the United State’s 250th anniversary has hit another snag. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleFirst Algae, Now the Reflecting Pool's New Paint is Peeling Away01:48Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 19, 2026, 3:37 PM EDTBy Sahil Kapur and Sophie ZiedalskiWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s makeover of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations is not going according to plan.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.First, the project overshot Trump’s initial cost estimate of under $2 million — and has already topped $14.6 million, according to a federal spending database.Then, the new Trump-branded “American flag blue” color was short-lived as the pool as algae turned it green, causing the administration to send crews to dump hydrogen peroxide into the expansive pool to deal with the problem.And in recent days, NBC News spotted some blue paint chipping off the surface, with strips of it peeling away and floating atop the pool for tourists and passers-by to see as the busy summer tourist season in the nation’s capital gets underway.A strip of detached paint rises above the surface of the water in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.Sophie Ziedalski / NBC NewsOn the west side of the pool Thursday, a small section of the blue painted surface appeared to be lifting away, exposing the darker unpainted layer underneath. A strip of detached paint could be seen floating beneath the water’s surface.Algae still remains visible along the edges of the pool despite ongoing cleaning efforts. The developing deterioration drew the attention of onlookers who stopped to take a closer look.The Trump administration is hardly the first to struggle to c...