United States President Donald Trump’s hand-picked contractor has admitted it was responsible for the failed renovation of the Washington Reflecting Pool, not vandals.

In what became an embarrassment for the US President in the run-up to the country’s 250th anniversary, the costly paint job immediately began peeling and the water
turned green with algae.

According to government documents, the 610m-long Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s new “American flag blue” liner peeled and broke loose because of flaws in its untested design.

This contradicts Trump’s repeated claims that knife-wielding vandals cut up the liner, determined to shift the blame away from the White House.

The Department of Justice has since dropped all the charges brought against those accused of damaging it, including a former Olympian who was facing up to 10 years in prison.

The documents, seen by the New York Times, provide a clear acknowledgment from the contractor of its own errors, citing “human oversight” and the layering of incompatible chemicals.

The report adds to the scrutiny on Trump over the US$14.7 million ($25.2m) debacle at the national landmark, one of his many costly and controversial beautification projects inside the capital.

The White House awarded the no-bid contract worth millions to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which had never previously had a federal contract but had renovated a pool on Trump’s Virginia golf course.

Trump pushed for the pool renovation work to be rushed so that it could be completed before July 4 celebrations, yet it has dragged on for months and remains drained of its water.

Since Trump’s return to office, he has been determined to leave a lasting imprint on Washington, ordering an array of building projects and refurbishments in a city where historic infrastructure is considered sacred.