Blue paint that was applied to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is seen peeling or chipping off near the bottom, shortly after the pool develops a green color linked to an algae return, according to photos and reporting from multiple outlets. NBC News and CBS News describe that the change comes during President Donald Trump’s refurbishment of the pool ahead of upcoming events marking America’s 250th anniversary. Forbes similarly reports that the paint deterioration appears in close timing with the pool turning green due to algae, noting the issue arises days after the algae color change was observed.
Across the coverage, the common thread is that the repainting and restoration work has encountered problems with pool appearance and maintenance. The reports focus on the visible peeling and the algae-related discoloration, but do not provide new, confirmed explanations for the cause beyond the temporal link between the algae return and the paint chipping. The outlets treat the sightings as evidence that the refurbishment is progressing with complications rather than meeting expectations for the event timeline.
