President Donald Trump on Sunday night blamed vandalism for the fact that his $14 million cleanup project at the Reflecting Pool has led to a huge and very public mess.
In a pair of evening Truth Social posts, the president complained that vandals used “chemicals” to “destroy and demean our beautiful work.” Trump had the pool drained, the bottom painted in a color he called “American flag blue,” then refilled in a project he boasted about for weeks. He also posted doctored images comparing his supposedly blue pool to a green one under President Barack Obama’s administration.
But within days of reopening, the algae reappeared and the blue paint on the bottom began peeling. Experts say that blue paint may have actually helped create favorable conditions for algae.
Trump, however, said the pool has had “real problems with vandalism.” “Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed,” he wrote, likely referring to the giant 8647 marking that appeared last week on the National Mall. “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.”
The notion of vandals somehow causing the algae bloom, which has existed on and off for decades, has spread in right-wing circles on social media, although Snopes found that it may have originated on a satirical Facebook page.
The president insisted that the problem was limited to a “small area” of the pool, but photos and videos show otherwise. Members of the National Park Service clean algae from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington.
He also claimed, without evidence, that the algae was “75% gone” and the pool will be fixed by early next week. “It’s a shame that the Radical Left Lunatics, most likely Dumocats, who have spent their lives trying to ruin our Country, are free to do so,” he wrote. “Law Enforcement is actively investigating this situation, and will hopefully have it resolved soon.”
Trump also posted a photo of a protester at the Reflecting Pool in a “Team Algae” t-shirt. At least two people have been wearing similar shirts and carrying signs in what seemed to be a somewhat cheeky protest at the Reflecting Pool.
