Trump Admits Contractor Error, Repeats Vandalism Claims

For the first time, President Donald Trump said contractor error contributed to the peeling of the paint liner on Washington’s Reflecting Pool, while continuing to raise allegations of vandalism.

In a social media post on Sunday night, Trump acknowledged that the work had been completed on an accelerated timetable ahead of a July 4 opening. He said the “rushing” of the job involved some contractor mistakes, but described the extent as limited compared with the size of the pool.

The Reflecting Pool has been closed to the public since problems emerged after more than $14 million was spent to change the colour of the liner. The coating began to peel soon after the upgrade, prompting investigations and renewed claims that the damage was caused by people tampering with the surface.

Contractor error acknowledged

Trump said the contractor pushed to finish work before July 4 and that this contributed to the failure of part of the coating. He added that vandalism claims continued alongside the new acknowledgement of workmanship issues.

His comments came after earlier reporting that the government had blamed vandalism, an approach that led to arrests connected to the incident.

Vandalism claims and dismissed charges

Trump previously attributed the damage to vandalism. Four people were arrested, including David “Davey” Hearn, a three-time Olympic athlete who was the only person charged with a felony.

U.S. prosecutors had said that a National Park Service employee witnessed Hearn ripping and tugging at the paint coating, according to the account underpinning the case. However, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, dismissed the charges against Hearn last week.

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Pirro’s office said the damage resulted from shoddy workmanship rather than deliberate vandalism. Her team argued that the Department of the Interior had not informed prosecutors about issues with the installation before the case proceeded.

At the time of Hearn’s indictment, Pirro said in court that he was a vandal, describing the damage as something Hearn had caused. Her office later sought dismissal through a motion stating the alleged harm was “a result of flawed installation by the contractor”, rather than conduct by Hearn and others.

Hearn has maintained his innocence since his arrest. His lawyer, Norman Eisen, said Hearn was riding his bicycle in June when he touched a section of coating that was already detached. Eisen also said Hearn had been facing public claims about a possible prison sentence, and that he was continuing to fight the case.

Fencing extended around the pool

Separately, the National Park Service said fencing around the Reflecting Pool will remain in place for longer than expected. The barrier was due to be removed on Monday, but the agency said work on the site continues.

The National Park Service set a new target date for taking the fencing down: Sept. 10. It said the sidewalks around the pool would remain closed while the work continues, limiting access for visitors who want to walk by the Washington landmark.

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10 August 2026