Reflecting Pool to Be Drained a Second Time as Trump Threatens ABC Lawsuit Over Renovation Coverage

Since the Reflecting Pool's approximately $16 million renovation became a documented public embarrassment, the pool's condition has not stabilized. As of Tuesday, June 23, DC Water has issued a permit to drain the structure for the second time this month, according to Reuters as cited by BBC News.

The National Park Service spent the past week pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water to fight algae. It hasn't worked. Sections of the deep blue paint applied during Trump's renovation are peeling away and floating to the surface, with visitors photographing and pulling out the flakes. ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl reported on the scene last week, holding a floating strip of paint on camera.

Trump's Vandalism Theory, Measured Against the Evidence

Trump has attributed the damage to vandals. On Monday, he posted on Truth Social that the pool "has been given a 300 foot long gash" and told reporters in the Oval Office that he now believed the cut was 350 feet long and that someone may have introduced fertilizer to trigger the algae bloom. "I can't help it if somebody goes in with a knife and starts hacking it up," he said, per BBC News.

The Interior Department did confirm to ABC News that five people have been arrested and five others received federal citations, and that 14 police reports have been filed for vandalism. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has vowed aggressive prosecution. Trump on Monday reminded the public on Truth Social that destruction of such sites carries a potential 10-year prison sentence.

The fair version of Trump's argument: a pool of that length, in a high-traffic public area, is genuinely vulnerable to tampering. The arrests are real. The 14 police reports are documented. If fertilizer was introduced deliberately, that would explain accelerated algae growth. None of that is implausible on its face.

What has not been established is that vandalism caused the paint to peel. Peeling paint is a materials and application failure. NPS staff and the renovation contractor have not publicly attributed the paint separation to vandalism, and the repair company's offer to fix the pool under warranty — confirmed by BBC News — typically signals a defect in their own work, not damage from a third party. The algae problem and peeling paint may have different causes, and conflating them obscures accountability.

The ABC Lawsuit Threat

Trump announced Monday night on Truth Social that his administration is "preparing lawsuits against ABC for false reporting." He did not specify which claim in ABC's coverage he considers false, according to Forbes and TheWrap.

His grievance, as written, is an omission argument: he accused ABC of failing to report that Obama and Biden "spent over 100 Million Dollars on the Reflecting Pool, and it never worked," and that they sought to spend "300 to 400 Million Dollars" more. He contrasted that with his approximately $16 million renovation. Trump also referenced his defamation settlement with ABC — in which the network paid $15 million plus $1 million in legal fees over George Stephanopoulos's comments about E. Jean Carroll — writing "I like their money, which will be given to the U.S. Treasury."

ABC News did cover the pool situation. Karl's report acknowledged the renovation, described the current algae and paint problems accurately, and included the Interior Department's statement about arrests. TheWrap notes that ABC reported Trump "provided no evidence of vandalism himself" — a characterization Trump appears to dispute.

Whether an omission about prior administrations' spending constitutes actionable "false reporting" under defamation law is a separate question from editorial judgment. Legal experts have not been cited by any of the three sources explaining a theory of liability. No investigation or filing has been announced as of June 23.

ABC News is not the only outlet facing Trump's litigious wrath in his second term. Per TheWrap, the president has also sued the Wall Street Journal, BBC, and The New York Times in the last year alone.

What Happens Next

The repair company is committed to fixing the pool under warranty, per BBC News, which means the second drain is coming at no additional cost to taxpayers under the current agreement. What remains unresolved is whether the warranty fix addresses the paint formula or application method, or simply replaces what peeled. If the same paint and process are used, the same result is likely.

The pool's structural history — leaks, deterioration, and algae dating back decades, documented by BBC News — suggests this renovation was always going to be complicated. Whether the current damage is primarily vandalism, a materials failure, or both is a question the Park Service and the contractor have not publicly answered with specifics as of June 23.