'Reflecting pool reflecting' again in D.C. as Trump's renovations near completion

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool seen in early June 2026 after recent renovations.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool began refilling late Thursday and photos posted on social media by the White House and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum show what the pool looks like after being refurbished at President Donald Trump's direction. 

The reflecting pool, an iconic piece of the capital city's landscape, had long been plagued by numerous problems, including leakage and overwhelming algae growth in the summer months that gave it a swampy look. Trump ordered the pool to be drained, cleaned, repaired, and the bottom painted American Flag Blue for a cost just north of $13 million -- a directive that sent his critics on the left into a tailspin.

As the work nears completion ahead of the country's 250th birthday on July 4, water began refilling the pool on Thursday.

So, how is it looking?

The White House posted a couple of photos on X, saying, "The water is ON, the Reflecting Pool is reflecting, and D.C. is looking better than ever." Doug Burgum posted a photo taken just before dusk showing the pool reflecting the Lincoln Memorial, an effect critics and an advocacy group who sued to stop the work worried would be lost due to the new paint color. 

But of course the White House and interior secretary are going to present the pool in its absolute best light. What do people on the street think? How about people who don't like Trump?

Turns out, even the harshest critics of the president are having a hard time containing their praise for the improvements made to the Reflecting Pool. A woman named "Nisha," who refers to Trump as an "orange idiot," admitted she had to be objective in a video she posted on TikTok showing herself at the Reflecting Pool and reacting to the renovations. 

"I thought it was a stupid idea to paint the reflecting pool. But, y'all, it looks good," Nisha admitted to her followers in the video. "It makes the reflection look extraordinarily prominent," she added.

Local TV station WTOP News spoke with some tourists who were out on the National Mall taking in the scene to get their reaction to the improvements.

"I can even see the American flags around the Washington Monument," Jordan Claudio, a tourist visiting D.C. from Las Vegas, told WTOP. "It's so reflective ... that's impressive."

Ed Weiskopf of Arlington, Virginia, said he, like Nisha, was skeptical about the plan to paint the bottom of the pool. "But I think once the water is in there, it's going to look really good." USA Today reports there are still some finishing touches that need to be completed ahead of July 4, but the early reactions to the improvements are largely positive. Watch the rest of the WTOP report below.