The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a Washington-area nonprofit focused on historic preservation, has sued the Trump administration over its controversial makeover of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, arguing that federal officials failed to follow legally required review procedures before coating the basin in a bright blue surface.
Filed Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C., the lawsuit seeks to halt work on the project through a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction. The group argues that the Interior Department violated the National Historic Preservation Act by moving ahead with major changes to one of the nation’s most recognizable memorial landscapes without the standard federal review process. The complaint also claims the Commission of Fine Arts, which traditionally reviews major design changes in the capital, was bypassed entirely.
At the center of the dispute is President Donald Trump’s decision to coat the Reflecting Pool in what he has described as “American Flag Blue,” a color he said was suggested by a contractor hired to repair persistent leaks in the basin. Trump unveiled the project last month and initially estimated it would cost less than $2 million and be completed within a week. Federal contracting records now show the Interior Department awarded roughly $13.1 million to Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC for the resurfacing work.
Charles Birnbaum, president and CEO of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, said the issue goes beyond aesthetics. In an interview with the Washington Post, Birnbaum argued that the pool’s original muted tones were intentionally designed to emphasize reflection and depth, while the new blue finish feels “more appropriate to a resort or theme park.” He said the lawsuit is fundamentally about process and the precedent it could set if presidents are allowed to unilaterally alter historic monuments and public spaces.
The Interior Department defended the project in a statement, saying the work would preserve the site for future generations and prepare it for celebrations tied to the country’s 250th anniversary. Trump has repeatedly promoted the renovation online, including posting AI-generated images depicting the transformed pool.
The lawsuit also links the Reflecting Pool controversy to broader fights over the administration’s construction plans in Washington, including Trump’s proposed White House ballroom project, which recently faced its own legal setback after a judge ruled congressional approval was required before aboveground construction could proceed.