Trump’s Tariffs Complicate Pool Renovation, Prompting Contract Shuffle and Delays

The plan to reseal the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with a polyurea liner ran into trouble after Trump’s tariff policy limited the flow of resin supplies from China, according to Creative Polymers president Rodney Jarboe. After being approached by Bedminster golf-club manager David Schutzenhofer, Jarboe secured Rhino Linings, a California firm with a Texas plant, to fabricate a coating in a shade meant to please the president.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia contractor with no prior federal contracts, was then hired to apply the material. The Interior Department, led by Doug Burgum, pushed back against scrutiny, while spokesperson Katie Martin defended the work as a permanent fix. Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney’s office announced that former Olympian David Hearn would not face charges, stating the pool’s damage resulted from the accelerated renovation timeline rather than vandalism.