New photos reveal the full extent of the algal infestation at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as President Donald Trump points the finger at “Radical Left SCUM.”
Workers have been desperately seeking to address the multiple problems facing the pool ahead of the president’s 4th of July deadline, particularly as an algae bloom present in the pool has grown out of control.
Meanwhile, Trump, 80, has blamed his political enemies and vandals for the damage to the pool, which he claims includes a gash in the pool lining.
“The Reflecting Pool, which suffered great damage due to the Vandals and Radical Left SCUM that hate our Country, has been, for the past two days, in full operation. It looks beautiful!” the president wrote on Truth Social on Monday. He also encouraged his supporters to visit the pool, calling it “magnificent.”
Photos taken of the pool by Reuters on Monday tell a different story. A fence has been erected in order to prevent visitors from getting too close to the water, and signs posted on the fence claim that the pool will be “coming to you on July 4th.”
Photos taken through the fence contradict the president’s claim that the pool looks “beautiful.” The water is incredibly green, and a significant amount of scum is visible on its surface.
The scum is the result of algae spreading in the heat, which itself appeared in the pool following the initial costly renovations ordered by the president, including painting the pool “American Flag Blue” ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Eric Palkovacs, a professor of ecology at UC Santa Cruz, explained that since the administration’s choice of paint color was darker than the previous color used, and darker colors absorb more heat, the renovations created the perfect conditions for algae to bloom in the nutrient-rich water taken from the tidal basin of the Potomac River.
Workers have sought to counteract the algal bloom by pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water and using vacuums and nanobubble ozone technology, but the issue has persisted.
Despite signage around the pool indicating it will be open by the 4th of July, President Trump’s Monday Truth Social pronouncement suggests the issue may not be resolved by then.
“After July 4th, we will release the water, fix the damage done to the very expensive waterproof matting, with the use of sharp knives and muscle, including the 350 foot gash along its right side, and have it looking as good as it was two weeks ago, when it was absolutely PERFECT!” Trump wrote. “This will all happen very quickly.”
The president also warned potential vandals that security was on notice at monuments around Washington D.C. in response to his claim that vandals were responsible for the problems plaguing the pool.
While the Trump administration has claimed that there have been seven arrests, multiple citations, and 18 police reports filed in relation to vandalism at the pool, court records show that only one person has been charged, an Olympian who denies causing damage to the pool.
“The United States Park Police have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Pool,” the president wrote on Truth Social on June 20. “Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail!”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
