Trump administration was warned about peeling Reflecting Pool nearly a month before it brought vandalism case

Justice DepartmentTrump administration was warned about peeling Reflecting Pool nearly a month before it brought vandalism caseA National Park Service engineer warned that the pool’s floor was peeling due to the renovation process and the materials used for the reinstallation. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00A peeling section of coating bobs above the water in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 21.Pete Kiehart / The Washington Post via Getty Images gfile4ShareAdd to GoogleAug. 19, 2026, 2:04 PM EDTBy Gary Grumbach and Rebecca ShabadA U.S. National Park Service engineer warned the Trump administration about the floor of the Lincoln Reflecting Pool peeling in early June due to the renovation process and the materials used for the job, court filings revealed Wednesday. Despite that warning, President Donald Trump accused multiple people of “destroying” the pool once it reopened to the public — and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., charged former Olympian canoeist David Hearn with destruction of property during a June 19 visit. The Park Service engineer alerted the administration to the peeling issue in an email sent June 11, which the U.S. Attorney’s Office included in a court filing Wednesday. Prosecutors said that they were “not aware of or in possession of” documentation that the Interior Department had of installation problems at the time they charged Hearn. The engineer noted that the “top layer of liner has peeled,” adding that it is “very thin and will not impact the strength of the liner.” The person explained in the email that the “contractor stated that the peeled area was ‘overspray’ from spraying the perimeter joint with polyurea,” according to the Justice Department. The engineer warned that that the issue could “lead to a 1’-2’ strip that is vulnerable to peeling.” The engineer sent the message to Interior Department and Park Service personnel. The Washington Monument is reflected in the partially drained reflec...