Days after the Trump administration insisted the Washington reflecting pool was pristine, the president acknowledged significant problems with the landmark while attributing them to sabotage without providing evidence.
The $14.2 million renovation was supposed to turn the pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial "American flag blue" ahead of the nation's 250th birthday. Within days of completion, an algae bloom turned the water green instead.
Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to address the deteriorating conditions. He claimed vandals had deliberately damaged the pool's interior surface and noted that "86 47" had been etched into nearby grass, interpreting the graffiti as an intentional political message. The number 86 is restaurant industry slang for discarding something, and Trump is the 47th president.
"No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work," Trump alleged. He offered no supporting evidence for the claim.
The president's explanation came after a week of visible deterioration at the site. National Park Service crews deployed skimmers and hydrogen peroxide to combat the algae bloom. By late week, large paint flakes were peeling from the basin and floating on the surface, and the water remained visibly murky in many areas.
The interior department had claimed victory earlier in the week, stating that "advanced nanobubbler technology" had "very effectively killed the algae." Laboratory testing commissioned by the Atlantic identified the algae as Scenedesmus, a common green algae genus.
Trump said the problem was largely resolved, claiming it was "75% gone" and would soon be "completely remedied." He stated that law enforcement was "actively investigating" the alleged vandalism and expected resolution soon. The Department of the Interior did not respond to requests for comment on his claims.
The project has drawn scrutiny beyond the algae crisis. The Trump administration awarded a no-bid contract to install the water-purification system to a business connected to a longtime presidential supporter, according to reporting by the New York Times.
The renovation is part of Trump's broader effort to renovate Washington landmarks during his second term. According to his statement, the administration has cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 monuments and memorials, 28 statues, and 22 fountains across the capital.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who ran against Trump as Kamala Harris's running mate in 2024, wrote on X: "Found an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn't listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably, bragged how great it went. The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell."
Author James Rodriguez: "Blaming vandals for a failed engineering project is a familiar playbook, but floating paint chips and green water are hard to spin as sabotage."
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