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An independent analysis of damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool found the deterioration is consistent with installation failures rather than vandalism, raising new questions about the Trump administration’s claims that the newly renovated landmark was intentionally damaged.
The findings come after President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum repeatedly blamed vandals for peeling sections of the pool’s waterproof lining following the completion of a $14 million renovation in June.
According to an analysis published by The Washington Post, the lining peeled away in at least seven locations where separate sections of the waterproof coating were joined together during installation. Four waterproofing experts who reviewed photographs, satellite imagery and construction records told the newspaper the pattern strongly suggests problems with how the material was applied rather than deliberate destruction.
The experts said the failures occurred along seams where coatings applied at different times are especially vulnerable if surfaces are not properly prepared before additional layers are added. While none could identify a definitive cause without laboratory testing, they agreed the damage was consistent with adhesion failures commonly associated with installation issues.
The White House rejected those conclusions.
“There were no missteps during the initial repairs to the pool,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said, maintaining that individuals cut and pulled up more than 300 feet of the pool’s lining. She said repairs would restore the Reflecting Pool after the alleged vandalism.
The Interior Department also disputed the analysis, saying National Park Service officials inspected the entire basin and concluded the renovation successfully eliminated leaks. Department officials continued to describe the damage as “gashes” located near the pool’s expansion joints but did not release evidence supporting claims that the damage resulted from vandalism.
Construction records reviewed by The Washington Post indicate contractors applied the Reflecting Pool’s waterproof membrane in multiple stages using Rhino Linings products, including an epoxy base coat followed by a sprayed polyurea coating. Technical specifications for those materials recommend strict application timelines and surface preparation between coats to ensure proper bonding.
The newspaper reported that several damaged areas appeared to have been coated outside those recommended windows, increasing the likelihood of adhesion problems.
The contractor overseeing the renovation, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, previously acknowledged shortly after the project reopened that some areas required repairs but said the affected sections represented only a small portion of the overall project and did not indicate a failure of the waterproofing system.
Rhino Linings similarly stated that localized finish-coat separation did not affect the underlying waterproof membrane.
The Reflecting Pool has experienced recurring maintenance issues for years, including leaks and algae blooms. A separate $34 million rehabilitation completed in 2012 rebuilt the pool’s structural foundation after years of deterioration.
The latest renovation was awarded under a sole-source federal contract intended to complete work before events commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Federal prosecutors have charged four people in connection with alleged vandalism at the Reflecting Pool. Three face misdemeanor charges after authorities accused them of peeling pieces of the lining, while former Olympian David Hearn has pleaded not guilty to a felony vandalism charge alleging he forcefully pulled at the coating after being ordered to stop.
Charging documents, however, do not accuse any defendant of creating the long cuts or “gashes” repeatedly cited by Trump administration officials.
