More from the article ...

... Newly obtained documents revealed that the ongoing issues at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stem from contractor mistakes rather than vandalism. The information contradicts previous claims by the Trump administration.

What we know:

Records reviewed by The New York Times indicate that the pool's blue liner peeled and tore due to human oversight during the installation process.

Specific errors cited in the documents include failing to apply sufficient primer in certain areas and using incompatible chemicals.

While the records noted that vandals caused minor cuts in the caulking along the pool's edges, they explicitly did not link those cuts to the peeling liner or pool floor damage. ...