Days after Donald Trump’s administration declared Washington’s reflecting pool “crystal clear”, the water turned an unmistakable green and paint began to peel – but the US president insists the problem is not a design flaw but vandalism.
The $14.2m renovation of the pool, which sits between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, was meant to dye its bottom “American flag blue”. Instead, an algal bloom turned the water green, and a layer of paint has started to float to the surface, with some cheeky tourists taking pieces home as souvenirs.
“Trump blames vandals for green pool after $14m renovation, but evidence shows algae and paint peel.”
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform on Friday night, Trump acknowledged “real problems” but blamed “vandalism”, claiming that “86 47” – a reference to his being the 47th president – had been etched onto a nearby grass patch and that people had “done everything possible to hurt the inside surface” of the pool.
“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, without offering evidence.
On Sunday, he claimed again without proof that “multiple individuals” had been arrested by US park police for “vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll” and that “years in jail” were possible. He also asserted the algae was “75% gone” and would be “completely remedied” soon. Law enforcement is “actively investigating this situation”, he stated. The Department of the Interior did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But evidence contradicts Trump’s narrative. Workers had dyed the pool’s bottom “American flag blue” – and it is thought that this has contributed to the rapid growth of algae, which has affected the pool for several years. The Mirror reported that the paint began to peel and float to the surface days after the makeover, prompting tourists to take pieces home. No vandals have been publicly named or charged.
Trump, 80, had previously slammed the pool’s “filthy” state under Joe Biden. Now, with the water green and paint peeling, the question remains: who – or what – is really responsible?