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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump’s decision to have his motorcade drive across the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a high-profile inspection last month is facing renewed scrutiny, as questions mount over whether the move may have contributed to damage now plaguing the newly renovated landmark.
Video accounts showed that Trump’s convoy drove over the drained, newly sealed basin in May as part of a tour of the project, which had been repainted “American flag blue” ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. In the weeks that followed, the pool began showing signs of deterioration, including peeling coating. While experts and fact-checkers note that it remains unclear whether the heavy vehicles directly caused the damage, the timing has fueled debate over whether the motorcade’s weight might have compromised the freshly treated surface.
“This is dumb and unfounded," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Newsweek about the speculation.
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What Is Happening at Reflecting Pool?
The newly resurfaced Reflecting Pool has been beset by problems since reopening, with patches of the blue coating, which is made of polyurea, peeling, algae turning the water murky green, and reports of a long “gash” in the basin’s lining. Trump has repeatedly blamed the damage on vandalism, claiming without presenting evidence that individuals used a sharp object such as a box cutter or knife to slice into the surface and introduce chemicals that fueled the algae growth, even as others have pointed to a range of potential explanations for the project’s rapid deterioration.
A National Park Service (NPS) official said the damage might stem from a June 9 incident in which a sharp object cut into the pool’s liner and foam sealant, with additional debris thrown into the basin, marking one of the first detailed accounts of how the site was affected, according to a declaration filed Wednesday in an ongoing lawsuit between the Department of Interior and the Cultural Landscape Foundation.
"On June 9, 2026, after the rehabilitation project was substantially complete, the U.S. Park Police responded to an NPS report of damage to the reflecting pool, including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material. In addition, approximately 70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool," NPS Deputy Director for Operations Frank Lands wrote in the declaration.
What Trump Motorcade Video Shows
The video resurfaced on Wednesday, when CNN anchor Anderson Cooper interviewed Scientific American reporter Adam Kovac about potential causes to the pool's sealant problem.
"There's been speculation or questions raised online asking if the presidential motorcade driving in the pool during the construction in early May along with other equipment may have caused or contributed to the problem with the blue coating," Cooper said in the clip.
On May 7, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted a video of the motorcade driving across the drained Reflecting Pool's surface.
Despite the questions raised about if the motorcade could've damaged the pool, the official cause remains unknown.
"At this point, there is not enough definitive information to conclude that vehicle traffic, including the presidential motorcade or construction equipment, caused the apparent delamination of the coating," Aquatic Council Chair Tim Auerhahn told Newsweek. "That said, it is one of several factors that should be considered as part of a comprehensive failure analysis. The timing of vehicle traffic in relation to surface preparation, coating application, and cure time; the weight and distribution of the loads; the location of vehicle travel relative to the observed failures; and the condition of the underlying substrate would all be relevant.”
The durability of polyurea depends on several factors, such as the substrate it is applied to, how the surface is prepared, how thick the coating and more, although the coating is “generally durable” and “commonly used in demanding industrial applications,” Auerhahn said.
Polyurea coatings "are designed to handle the weight and daily wear of passenger vehicles and light trucks," Jim Hobart, president and owner of Croc Coatings, a company that applies polyurea coatings to garage floors and exterior concrete surfaces, told Newsweek.
"They offer strong abrasion resistance, impact resistance and flexibility, allowing them to perform well under regular vehicle traffic without chipping or peeling when properly applied," Hobart said. "These coatings are also formulated to withstand freeze-thaw conditions."
However, Hobart stressed that his company does not apply the coating as interior pool linings. In the case of garage floors, Hobart said polyurea coatings must cure for at least 24 hours before vehicle traffic can drive on it, although Croc Coatings recommends a curing time of 36 to 48 hours, especially for heavier vehicles.
It is unclear how long the Reflecting Pool's coating cured before the president's motorcade drove on it.
Despite the resurfaced motorcade video, Auerhahn stressed the importance of not focusing on one theory behind the coating’s demise at this point.
“Many factors—including product selection, substrate compatibility, surface preparation, application methods and environmental conditions, joint movement, fill-water quality, chemical exposure and mechanical loading—should all be considered,” he said. “Ultimately, the apparent delamination may prove to be the result of multiple contributing factors rather than a single point of failure.”
What Happens Next
Trump has said that six people have been arrested and seven others cited in connection with alleged vandalism at the Reflecting Pool. Federal authorities are continuing an investigation, releasing surveillance footage and asking the public to help identify additional individuals as they probe what they have described as potential destruction of government property.
The NPS will drain the Reflecting Pool to conduct necessary repairs after the Independence Day celebration, the declaration by Lands said.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Dave Siminoff.
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