Trump Admits ‘Some Contractor Error’ In Reflecting Pool Repairs

Aug 10, 2026 08:16 PM - 1 hour ago 2

Topline

President Donald Trump admitted “some contractor error” occurred erstwhile renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, an admittance that comes arsenic he has for months blamed harm connected alleged vandals.

President Donald Trump admitted "some contractor error" occurred while repairing the Reflecting Pool. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

In a Sunday evening post, Trump doubled down connected his claims that ex-Olympian David Hearn vandalized the Reflecting Pool by “violently” tugging astatine the liner, citing a National Park Service worker who allegedly saw the incident.

Trump claimed location is “substantial different harm to the Reflecting Pool,” but admitted location is “no video aliases proof, different than the damage, itself.”

Last week, Trump told reporters successful the Oval Office the management has “photographs aliases tapes, for illustration moving cameras, wherever group are connected the broadside cutting it pinch a container knife,” and the U.S. Park Police posted a video successful June of what appears to beryllium an individual reaching into the pool.

Trump admitted location was “some contractor correction done by rushing the occupation for a July 4th opening,” but claimed the contractor correction covered “a very mini area of this monolithic Pool, and was comparatively inconsequential.”

Trump has many times criticized U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro aft her agency dropped vandalism charges against Hearn and different individuals who were accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool, blaming the harm connected a “rushed and botched installation” by the contractor successful tribunal filings.

what to watch for

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking Democrat connected the House Judiciary Committee, told The New Republic that Democrats connected the committee will motorboat an investigation into the determination to complaint Hearn and different individuals this week. “Judiciary Democrats will analyse who lied, who buried the evidence, and who decided to frighten an American national pinch situation simply to protect Trump’s wounded feelings and continuing corruption,” Raskin told The New Republic, saying he will request records from the Justice Department and Interior Department relating to the charging decisions.

Why Is Trump Sparring With Jeanine Pirro?

Pirro has been the taxable of Trump’s ire complete the past week, arsenic the president alleged she “choked” and “made a mistake” aft her agency chose to driblet the Reflecting Pool vandalism charges. He urged her connected Friday to “re-visit her hastily made decision” to driblet the charges. Trump considered firing Pirro past week, 2 unnamed sources acquainted pinch his reasoning told CNN, though Pirro remains successful her domiciled arsenic of Monday. In dropping the charges, Pirro’s agency accused the Interior Department of only providing accusation that suggested the excavation harm was owed to a contractor correction aft her agency had already charged Hearn. Had the Interior Department been “forthcoming pinch the accusation intelligibly successful its possession, the authorities would not person sought a expansive assemblage indictment,” the filing says.

key background

Trump has consistently blamed vandals for the botched renewal of the Reflecting Pool, which has been plagued by a peeling liner and resurfacing algae. Trump has made varying claims astir the alleged harm done to the pool, erstwhile claiming an evident gash successful the liner was 300 yards (or 900 feet), though pictures of the drained excavation did not look to support his claims. A Washington Post study of the pool, based connected outer imagery and conversations pinch experts, recovered the lining appears to beryllium peeling successful astir 7 places, indicating evident problems pinch its installation. The Reflecting Pool upgrades person reportedly ballooned successful costs from nether $2 cardinal to astir $16 million, and a group of Senate Democrats said successful June they would probe “serious questions” they person astir “project management, contracting practices, value control, and fiscal responsibility.”