President Donald Trump has been accused of contributing to the damage caused to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after he had his presidential motorcade drive across the pool during a high-profile inspection of the renovation project last month. The allegation comes as portions of the newly applied blue polyurea coating on the pool floor started to peel. Notably, experts said there is no definitive evidence that suggests Trump’s motorcade was the primary reason behind the Reflecting Pool’s deteriorating condition, adding that they are investigating several possibilities.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, is propagating the narrative that acts of vandalism by “deranged leftists” — not construction flaws during the renovation project — are responsible for the Reflecting Pool’s current condition.
Donald Trump motorcade video ignites allegations
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted a video on X on May 7 showing Trump’s motorcade driving across the drained Reflecting Pool during a tour of the renovation project. The basin had recently been repainted “American flag blue” ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Weeks later, the polyurea coating began peeling, algae turned the water murky green and reports emerged of a long gash in the liner.
They see me rolling!
President Trump rides in the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial! pic.twitter.com/iSRMok2SFk
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) May 8, 2026
The motorcade footage resurfaced on Wednesday, June 24, when CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Scientific American reporter Adam Kovac whether the vehicles could have contributed to the damage. “There’s been speculation or questions raised online asking if the presidential motorcade driving in the pool during the construction in early May along with other equipment may have caused or contributed to the problem with the blue coating,” Cooper said.
Experts say it is too early to assign blame
Industry experts say it is too early to conclude what caused the coating to fail. “At this point, there is not enough definitive information to conclude that vehicle traffic, including the presidential motorcade or construction equipment, caused the apparent delamination of the coating,” Aquatic Council chair Tim Auerhahn said in a statement to Newsweek.
He added that investigators should consider multiple factors, including “surface preparation, coating application and cure time; the weight and distribution of the loads; the location of vehicle travel relative to the observed failures; and the condition of the underlying substrate.” As investigators continue examining the damage, Auerhahn cautioned against focusing on a single explanation, saying the apparent damage “may prove to be the result of multiple contributing factors rather than a single point of failure.”
Jim Hobart, president of Croc Coatings, said polyurea is “generally durable” and designed to withstand regular vehicle traffic when properly installed. However, he noted such coatings typically require at least 24 hours to cure before vehicles drive over them, with his company recommending 36 to 48 hours for heavier vehicles. It remains unclear how long the Reflecting Pool coating had cured before Trump’s motorcade crossed it.
NPS declaration details Reflecting Pool damage
A declaration filed on Wednesday, June 24, by National Park Service Deputy Director for Operations Frank Lands provided one of the first official accounts of the damage. “On June 9, 2026, after the rehabilitation project was substantially complete, the U.S. Park Police responded to an NPS report of damage to the Reflecting Pool, including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material. In addition, approximately 70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool,” Lands wrote.
White House points to vandalism
Trump has repeatedly blamed the damage on acts of vandalism perpetrated by “deranged leftists,” alleging without presenting evidence that someone used a sharp object to slice the liner and introduce chemicals that fueled algae growth. On Tuesday, June 23, Trump announced that six people had been arrested in connection with alleged vandalism, claiming a “350-foot gash” was created with “a very sharp knife or razors.”
“It was purposefully and criminally done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that repairs would require draining part of the pool around the Fourth of July.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended that position, saying officials had documented “17 police reports” and “six arrests” connected to vandalism at the site.
Among those arrested was 67-year-old former Olympian David Hearn, who insists he committed no crime and says he is planning to fight the allegation in court. “I did nothing wrong,” Hearn told Newsweek on Tuesday. He also told The Washington Post that he picked up a piece of paint that was already flaking off and did not remove any material from the pool. “I didn’t vandalize anything. … I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,” he claimed.
