Donald Trump has pushed back hard against a fresh explanation for the damage seen at the Reflecting Pool, insisting the algae buildup and surface deterioration were the result of “vandalism” rather than flaws tied to the recently completed work.
The Lincoln Memorial feature has become a flashpoint after the Trump administration approved a $16 million refurbishment and had the pool coated in what was described as “American flag blue” ahead of Independence Day events and the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations this month.
Within weeks of the project reaching completion, however, algae began spreading through the water, changing the deep-blue appearance into a striking green, while sections of the new coating also appeared to lift and peel from the bottom.
Because there was no immediate official explanation, a number of possible causes began circulating.
Some suggested old algae may have remained in the pipework or that reactivated supply lines could have carried residual growth back into the pool, while others speculated the darker finish could have trapped more heat and created conditions for the bloom to spread.
Trump, however, has maintained that the real issue was “vandalism.”
ABC anchor David Muir has since floated a different account of what happened, prompting a furious response from the president.
Trump had previously acknowledged that the condition of the pool might require it to be drained, and crews are now again removing water as the administration says it moves toward a permanent repair.
He later dismissed Muir’s description of the situation as “fake news.”
According to Trump, the need to empty the pool had nothing to do with algae or paint peeling.
Instead, he argued that someone deliberately damaged the waterproof lining by cutting into it with a sharp object and then introducing chemicals into the water, which caused the surface to begin separating.
He wrote on Truth Social:
“ABC Fake News and its shaky anchor, David Muir, said that the Reflecting Pool was drained to address Peeling Paint (there is no paint, it was slashed with a knife, or box cutter, high grade colored waterproofing liner – it was VANDALISM!) and Algae Blooms (also caused by Vandals, but removed long ago!).”
He added:
“In other words, the story was FAKE NEWS, but heavily slanted away from the real cause of the problem, Vandalism. It will be fixed soon, and better than ever. 60 monuments and fountains have been cleaned and fully renovated in D.C., and crime is at record lows! Washington has never looked better, or been safer! President DJT.”
Many of the replies to his post backed his version of events and argued that the project had been intentionally sabotaged, though some critics publicly rejected that explanation.
Among them was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who argued there was no real issue to solve in the first place.
He said:
“Found an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn’t listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably, bragged how great it went. The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell.”
Earlier this month, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the draining would go ahead, describing it as a way to “clean up the fireworks stuff” and “repair the vandalism that was done.” The Interior Department has also said the algae may have been residual growth from supply lines, while Trump has continued to claim the problem was caused by vandalism.
In parallel, the legal fallout has continued. A former Olympic canoeist who was arrested in connection with the pool dispute has pleaded not guilty, after Trump and administration officials said several people had been detained or cited over alleged vandalism at the site.
Requests for comment were sent to the White House and ABC.