President Donald Trump has taken aim at one of his fiercest foes in an incendiary Truth Social post as he continues to unravel over his botched renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Railing against one of his old enemies, ABC News, Trump on Monday condemned the news network for its “inaccurate” reporting; specifically, for failing to report that “their close ‘friends,’ Dumocrats Obama and Biden, spent over 100 Million Dollars on the Reflecting Pool, and it never worked.”
President Joe Biden did not conduct any major work on the pool. President Barack Obama oversaw a renovation of the pool and spent approximately $34 million on the project.
“In fact, it was rarely open due to leaks and ‘stench,’” Trump continued. “They wanted to spend 300 to 400 Million Dollars, but just let it ROT. I spent approximately 16 Million Dollars, and it came out great, except for the Vandalism, which we are now fixing.”
The president has claimed that vandals cut a 250ft slit in the floor of the reflecting pool and dumped illegal chemicals into the water, but has yet to provide any evidence. He has also claimed that several people have been arrested in connection with the vandalism.
The president continued his rant by revealing that his team is preparing to sue ABC for false reporting.
“I like their money, which will be given to the U.S. Treasury!” he added.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and ABC News for comment.
ABC settled a lawsuit with Trump in 2024 after he sued the network and George Stephanopoulos for defamation, opting to issue an on-air apology and make a $15 million donation to his presidential library instead of taking the case to court.
The president’s renovations have been plagued with problems since the project began, after his $14 million attempt to paint the pool “American Flag Blue” ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary ended with the pool full of algae, peeling paint, and at least one dead duckling.
The cause of the duckling’s death is unknown. It died days after federal government workers had poured gallons of hydrogen peroxide into the pool to stop the algal blooms from growing.
Earlier on Monday, Trump also took aim at someone he described as a “crazy pro-algae (likely paid) protester,” sharing an image of a protester in a pink inflatable frog suit and providing context for the protester’s sign, which read, “First they came for the algae.”
“The sign says, ‘First they came for the algae…’ which is in reference to a famous post-WW2 statement about Germans not speaking out against the Nazis,“ Trump explained, referencing the poem by pastor Martin Niemöller.
The protester in question, Nadine Otego Seiler, is a vocal critic of Trump’s presidency, and has quit her job to travel the country and protest his policies full-time.
“I decided I am his number one nemesis,” Seiler told the Times in November 2025. She has dubbed herself the “Warrior Goddess for the Resistance.”
Of her decision to protest in costume, she said, “The frog has become a symbol of resistance.”
“It helps me get the message out more widely.”
