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The Trump administration will not seek new bids to complete repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Sunday, defending both the contractor overseeing the project and the administration’s handling of the high-profile renovation as lawmakers continue investigating the use of taxpayer funds.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Burgum said the same contractor that completed the initial restoration will repair damage that President Donald Trump and administration officials have blamed on vandalism.
“We’ll use the same company, because they did a fantastic job,” Burgum said. “Thankfully, the vandalism was small. It was bad. It could cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair, so it could fall into a felony, just like damaging any other government property.”
Burgum said the Reflecting Pool will need to be partially drained again in the coming week to complete repairs.
The project has become a focal point in the broader debate over Trump’s effort to reshape and restore prominent federal landmarks during the final years of his presidency.
Administration blames vandals
Trump has repeatedly claimed that vandals cut a 350-foot gash into the Reflecting Pool’s liner after renovations were completed. Burgum clarified Sunday that the damage consisted of multiple cuts totaling roughly that length.
The administration has not publicly released photographic evidence showing the alleged vandalism. When asked whether such evidence exists, Burgum did not directly answer.
The Reflecting Pool underwent an extensive renovation earlier this year after Trump ordered improvements ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. The project included draining the pool and repainting its concrete floor with what Trump described as an “American flag blue” coating.
Following the restoration, however, the pool experienced a prolonged algae bloom, and observers reported sections of the new coating peeling from the bottom.
Burgum said the Reflecting Pool remained closed during Independence Day festivities because of safety concerns associated with fireworks rather than construction issues.
Criminal case moves forward
Federal prosecutors have charged several individuals in connection with damage at the Reflecting Pool, including former Olympian David Hearn.
Hearn was indicted last week on a felony property destruction charge after prosecutors alleged he deliberately ripped up newly installed sealant, causing more than $1,000 in damage.
According to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Hearn “forcefully and violently” pulled up sections of the pool liner with both hands and became confrontational with an employee who attempted to intervene.
Hearn’s attorneys, Democracy Defenders Fund co-founder Norm Eisen and attorney Mary Dohrmann, rejected the allegations, calling the prosecution “outrageous” and describing the case as an example of government overreach based on what they called a “concocted narrative.”
Asked whether Hearn should face the maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, Burgum declined to comment on the potential sentence.
“Just because you were a former something doesn’t exclude you from the law today,” Burgum said. “The courts will decide.”
Democratic lawmakers seek answers
The renovation has also drawn congressional scrutiny over the contracts awarded for the project.
Ohio-based Green Water Solutions received a $1.7 million contract to install a water purification system for the Reflecting Pool, while Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded a $14.7 million contract to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.
Several Democratic lawmakers have launched an inquiry into the project, raising questions about the use of no-bid contracts and whether vendors with prior ties to Trump received preferential treatment.
In a letter sent last month, six Democratic senators said taxpayers deserve “a full explanation of how these failures occurred and who will be held accountable for correcting them.”
The Reflecting Pool project has become part of a broader political dispute over Trump’s effort to renovate federal monuments and public spaces in Washington as his administration continues preparations tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
