Aerial Photos Show Reflecting Pool Work Progress As Trump Announces Refill

Aerial photographs reveal the progress of the ongoing renovation at the Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump announced that the second round of renovations was complete, stating that the pool would be refilled this week. However, as of Thursday morning, the pool had not yet been filled, with workers still making final adjustments according to The Washington Post.

In July, the pool was drained after facing criticism over a $14 million no-bid contract, which led to issues such as severe algae outbreaks, peeling underwater coating, and allegations of vandalism. President Trump and his administration blamed political opponents and vandals for the project's rapid deterioration. However, critics have argued that these claims were used to mask systemic construction defects.

The project was declared complete in time for the nation's 250th anniversary, but problems arose shortly after. Photos from July 14 show the pool without water, exposing its basin and visible surface patterns. Close-up images taken by Newsweek demonstrate the exposed basin with construction equipment scattered across the surface.

In June, the administration accused vandals of slashing the pool's liner, sides, and coating, as well as throwing debris into the pool. Olympic canoeist David Hearn was among several people arrested, but federal prosecutors later dropped the criminal case, concluding that the damage was caused by flawed installation rather than vandalism. Judge Todd Edelman also dismissed the criminal case, stating that no crime had occurred.

The White House has continued to attribute the damage to vandals, as seen in recent Truth Social posts from President Trump. Hearn's attorneys have called for a comprehensive investigation into the prosecution, accusing the federal government of throwing an innocent man into a "nightmare of wrongful arrest, felony indictment, and public defamation" to cover up their own mistakes.

A DOJ spokesperson confirmed that they make their own decisions about what to review, while a Department of Interior spokesperson stated that Hearn admitted to tampering with the pool.