Legal Challenge Filed Against Trump’s Plan to Paint Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Blue

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, one of Washington, D.C.’s most iconic landmarks, is at the center of a legal dispute after President Donald Trump announced plans to paint its basin ‘American flag blue.’

The pool, measuring 2,030 feet long and 170 feet wide, has historically featured an achromatic (colorless) basin, allowing its water to mirror the surrounding monuments and sky. The proposed color change would fundamentally alter its appearance and historical significance.

Legal Challenge Launched by Cultural Landscape Foundation

In response, the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving landscape heritage, filed a lawsuit on May 11 against the Trump administration. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims the plan violates federal law by proceeding without proper consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The Reflecting Pool and other structures on the National Mall are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which requires federal agencies to assess and mitigate adverse effects before making changes. The foundation argues that painting the basin blue would violate these legal protections.

Key Legal Arguments

Charles A. Birnbaum, president and CEO of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, emphasized the importance of following legal procedures:

“These are the legal ways to avoid, minimize, and mitigate any adverse effects. The government is not doing that.”

Birnbaum further stated that altering the pool’s color would change its materiality, craftsmanship, and the emotional impact it has on visitors:

“The reality is that to change the color [and] to change the reflectivity changes the materiality, it changes the craftsmanship, and it certainly alters the feeling.”

In a separate statement, he added:

“A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”

Trump’s History of Section 106 Violations

This is not the first time the Trump administration has faced scrutiny under Section 106. Similar controversies surround proposed changes to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, including plans to repaint it, and the construction of a large state ballroom, which required the demolition of the East Wing of the White House. Other projects, such as paving over the White House Rose Garden and constructing a Triumphal Arch, have also drawn legal challenges.

The lawsuit against the Reflecting Pool is part of a broader effort by the Cultural Landscape Foundation and other groups to hold the administration accountable for changes to the built environment. Birnbaum stated the organization is acting because:

“[The] law should be followed.”

What’s Next in the Legal Battle?

The foundation is seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to halt the painting project, which is reportedly already underway. The lawsuit names the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service as defendants.