The contractor said the pool’s new blue liner peeled and tore because of “human oversight” and a flawed plan that involved layering two incompatible chemicals, documents show.
The president had insisted for weeks that the landmarks’ algae-stained waters and peeling lining were the fault of vandals, not the project itself.
The seaweed — a stinky, brown algae known as sargassum — has plagued Mexico and the broader region for more than a decade, but this year’s forecast is setting records.
And why the most patriotic approach to the Reflecting Pool may be to let the algae take over.
Bulky “nanobubbler” machines were carted off ahead of a promotional event for President Trump’s Ultimate Fighting Championship birthday party.
The growing list of issues surrounding the renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is creating an unwelcome distraction for President Trump as he seeks to complete beautification projects in Washington ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary next month. Clumps of algae appeared on the floor of the pool within days of the iconic landmark being repainted “American flag blue,” leading to crews pouring in hydrogen peroxide and using special nanobubbler technology at the direction of the Interior Department. Shortly after that, photos emerged showing the paint job peeling off and rising to the surface of the pool. Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5935054-reflecting-pool-algae-dead-duck/ #LincolnMemorial…
The documents do not indicate that the peeling blue coating and algae blooms were caused intentionally.
President Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is “probably” going to be drained for repairs after a recent algae bloom and instances of peeling paint following his administration’s major renovation of the Washington landmark. “We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible,” Trump wrote on social media Saturday night. Read More: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5933082-trump-reflecting-pool-drained-repairs/ #reflectingpool #trump #dc #algaebloom
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The algae from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool surged ahead of former Vice President Kamala Harris in polls for the Democratic Party's 2028 presidential nomination.
President Trump on Sunday ordered immediate repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after alleging vandalism had damaged the recently renovated landmark. Why it matters: Trump's direct intervention elevates a maintenance dispute at a national landmark into a public test of a high-profile renovation project. Screenshot: President Trump/Truth Social - The president said on Truth Social Sunday he had personally inspected the damage. A day earlier, he wrote he had met with contractors because much of the pool will probably have to be drained for "necessary repairs." By the numbers: Initial work at the site cost an estimated $14 million. - The New York Times reported last week that a no-bid $1.7 million contract was awarded in…