Washington Post: Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damage caused by Trump contractor's flawed work, not vandals

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Liner Damage Likely Due to Application Flaws, Not Vandalism

The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed without evidence that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's peeling lining was the work of vandals. An independent analysis has concluded otherwise.

After reviewing photographs and satellite imagery, and speaking with experts, The Washington Post found that the extensive gashes in the pool liner were likely the result of improper application. The Thursday report noted that the tears appeared in at least seven places "along seams that were created when the material was applied in large rectangular sections."

Reporters were not able to access the center of the pool during a June 25 visit. The Post chronicled that the peeling occurred in irregularly shaped patches along the edges of the patchwork seams, with sloughing pieces ranging in size from several inches to as much as six feet. Some sections of the lining were so damaged that reporters were able to see the bare concrete underneath.

Contractor History

Rhino Linings, a popular truck-bed coating company that received the no-bid contract to do the job, has been named in several lawsuits since 2021 alleging that its liners were inadequate and resulted in hundreds of leaks.

Administration Response

Donald Trump and his entourage have pinned the problem on supposed troublemakers dead set on destroying his $16 million renovation project — a cost that is a far cry from his promised $1.8 million price tag for the endeavor. The White House has not provided any great evidence for the theory but has raised tensions around the Reflecting Pool anyway.

By late June, at least seven individuals were arrested for allegedly destroying the pool, including former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn.

The White House denied that any mistakes had been made during the renovation process.

"Unfortunately, deranged individuals made several gashes in the side of the pool and destroyed over 300 feet of the pool's siding," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the Post. "Once the necessary repairs to fix the vandalism are complete, the Reflecting Pool will be restored to all its glory."

Previous Contractor Declined the Job

The company that handled the memorial's last renovation in 2010, the New Jersey–based Sika Corporation, was offered the chance to do this renovation before the job was offered to Rhino Linings. Speaking with CNN last month, two employees at Sika said the company had declined the offer due to Trump's demands. Those included requirements that the pool be painted "American flag blue," and that the restoration be completed by July 4. Both demands made the project "unfeasible," according to the employees.

Read more: Trump Ropes FBI Into His Supposed Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case

White House Teleprompter Operator Allegedly Made Over $100,000 Betting on Trump's Speeches

A White House teleprompter operator appears to have made over $100,000 betting on President Trump's speeches.

ABC News, citing unnamed sources, reports that a longtime staffer for the president, Gabriel Perez, was placing bets on Trump's speeches on the prediction market Kalshi, sparking an investigation from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Perez, a technical assistant, has operated Trump's teleprompter since 2016 and is now speaking to federal investigators over allegations that he profited from inside knowledge. Perez allegedly bet on several of Trump's speeches over three months, including:

• The president's prime-time address in December 2025
• His remarks at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January 2026
• A Trump speech in March at a Medal of Honor ceremony

Kalshi reportedly alerted the CFTC about suspicious activity on its "Mentions" market, which allows bets on whether certain words, topics, or phrases come up in public speech.

"Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC, and we are cooperating and assisting regulators," the lead lawyer for Kalshi, Bobby DeNault, told ABC News in a statement.

"The White House has strict et