Fact Check: Did Trump's motorcade leave tire tracks in Reflecting Pool?

WASHINGTON, DC: Viral posts shared photos of tire tracks in the drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in July 2026. They claimed President Donald Trump's motorcade left marks during a visit in early May. The images spread widely across social media, prompting users to question whether the motorcade caused the damage. Let's fact-check the claim.

Claim: Pictures of Reflecting Pool showed tire tracks on its surface

After the July Fourth celebrations marking 250 years of American independence, crews drained the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington for the second time in 2026 to begin repairs. 

The work came only weeks after the Trump administration completed a project to clean the pool and paint it a shade President Donald Trump called "American flag blue." 

After crews drained the pool again in July, social media users claimed newly shared photos showed tire tracks on the pool's surface.

They alleged the marks came from Trump's motorcade, which drove through the drained pool during a tour on May 7. 

On July 13, for example, an X user shared a photo claiming it showed tire tracks running along the north side of the Reflecting Pool. The post read, "Reflecting Pool drained again, revealing tire tracks from Trump's convoy…vandalism MY A**!!!" Similar posts quickly spread across Bluesky, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, and X.

Earlier this year, officials had drained the pool in April, but algae soon grew and turned the water green. 

Authorities later arrested several people over alleged vandalism after Trump claimed vandals had cut a "350-foot gash" in the side of the pool.

Fact Check: False, misleading captions

The claim is not true. The photos of the reflecting pool are real and show no signs of artificial intelligence or digital editing. However, social media users shared them with false or misleading captions. Reports found no evidence that Trump's motorcade caused the marks seen in the images. Therefore, the claim is miscaptioned.

One verified photo from Trump's May visit shows that his motorcade did not drive near the reflecting pool's northwest corner, where users claimed the tire tracks appeared. Other photos show the motorcade returning to the east side of the pool before leaving the area. In addition, other vehicles and equipment in the pool blocked the motorcade from traveling near the northwest corner.

Photos taken on May 29, June 4, June 6, and June 7 show workers driving several vehicles inside the drained Reflecting Pool while cleaning and repainting it after Trump's visit. An April post by the National Park Service also showed crews using special tire-equipped vehicles called "Super Scrubbers" to clean the pool after the earlier draining.

Reports have not confirmed whether workers used the same equipment after the July draining or whether those machines could have left the visible marks. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers dismissed the rumor, describing it as a "far-fetched, false claim made by losers on social media."