President Donald Trump declared victory over “criminally made algae” as he distracted himself from other crises by immersing himself in his renovation projects.
The 80-year-old president launched into a 594-word rant about his botched Reflecting Pool renovations on Truth Social on Sunday, claiming the pool had suffered “great damage from Criminal, Radical Left Vandals,” and saying he would drain it again after July 4 to “treat the damage caused by these ‘animals.’”
He declared, however, that “in the meantime,” the pool “is working well” and “the criminally made algae is gone.”
Trump appears to be pushing his unproven claim that “chemicals... illegally placed in the water” caused the massive algal bloom that appeared in the pool after his renovations, even as experts say the shallow Reflecting Pool is prone to algae growth in warm months, particularly after refilling, and that the new blue coating Trump had it repainted with increases water temperature.
Trump once again suggested without evidence that the pool’s newly applied blue coating is already peeling because vandals had “cut” into it.
The New York Times revealed earlier this month that the company the president tasked with installing a water-purification system to prevent algae blooms is owned by John J. Cafaro, a long-time Trump supporter and two-time felon. Federal contracting records show the National Park Service bypassed the government’s usual competitive-bidding process and awarded a $1.7 million contract to the company.
In another bizarre post, the octogenarian president wrote, “This is what happens to people who desecrate, or even think about desecrating, our Great Monuments, Statues, or Fountains!” and linked to a criminal defense law firm’s webpage that described potential 10-year prison sentences for government property destruction and offered guidance on how to contest the charges.
“If you’re charged with damaging or destroying government property, a skilled federal criminal defense attorney can examine your case and identify potential defenses,” the page states. “For instance, we might argue that you did not actually damage or destroy property. You could have been involved in a group protest but did not participate in vandalism.”
Trump typed out the lengthy post after touring monuments and fountains in Washington, D.C., including Lafayette Square—referred to by him as Lafayette Park—and the East Potomac Golf Links, both of which he has added to his expanding list of renovation projects.
He said of the golf course, “The grass is largely dead, the greens are virtually unplayable, and the Course is in very poor general condition but, after many years of horrendous maintenance, and little money devoted to the process of upkeep, we have determined that this location can bring tremendous success and prestige back to Washington, D.C.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump offered no public comment as U.S. forces traded attacks with Iran on Sunday, just two weeks after he struck a peace deal with the country.
Trump had bragged last week that the ceasefire agreement “achieves everything we set out to accomplish,” but it has been widely panned for the sweeping concessions made to Iran, and the renewed fighting has further eroded confidence in the deal.
