Another Act in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Circus

June 22, 2026 - Washington DC

The circus sideshow at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool continues.

Over the weekend, authorities issued warning citations and arrested several people after they removed pieces of the blue coating that had peeled off the bottom of the pool.

On Sunday morning, I did not see any pieces of the blue liner floating in the water. Most of the algae has been eliminated through treatment with hydrogen peroxide and what officials described as "high-tech nanobubble ozone technology." It was later reported in The Washington Post that the nanobubble technology wasn't installed re-installed.

President Trump said "disgraceful vandalism" was the reason the $14.7 million liner is coming off, despite no public evidence supporting that claim. Security has since been significantly increased. I counted 20 National Guard troops patrolling the pool, though there were likely more. There was also a larger-than-usual presence of National Park Service police officers and sheriff's deputies from across the region, which made me wonder about jurisdiction.

To top it all off, Trump said the pool will probably have to be drained again.