Trump's new Reflecting Pool liner cut using 'razor,' official alleges
A top National Park Service official indicated in a sworn declaration before a federal court that President Donald Trump's revamped Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalized using a "sharp knife or razor."
NPS Deputy Director for Operations Frank Lands suggested in his sworn statement that the reflecting pool liner the Trump administration ordered redone in anticipation of the nation's 250th anniversary was deliberately cut. Lands' statement gives no indication of how NPS officials concluded the liner was cut using a knife of some kind.
The official's statement was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on June 24. It's the latest filing in connection with a lawsuit arguing that the Trump administration illegally renovated the iconic Washington, DC fixture.
According to Lands, NPS reported the vandalism to U.S. Park Police and officers responded on June 9. Park police work within NPS.
Park Service officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Lands' declaration, including how NPS officials determined the liner was cut.
The pool, a must-see stop along Washington's Monument Row, has become a point of controversy since Trump in April announced a project to paint the bottom of the shallow pool "American Flag Blue."
The announcement was controversial for several reasons. Among them, the Trump administration bypassed the typical competitive bidding process for the work for the multi-million dollar renovations and among contractors Trump hired was a company linked to a Trump donor.
The renovated pool also quickly deteriorated. A massive algae bloom turned the water lime green, and the new surface liner has come off in visible sheets.
Trump alleged the pool's new surface has come apart due to "vandalism."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's new Reflecting Pool liner cut using 'razor,' official alleges
Reporting by Michael Loria, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 6:57 PM.