WASHINGTON — Washington’s Reflecting Pool is showing serious signs of wear following a renovation ordered by President Trump, and now the president is suggesting the damage was done on purpose — though he has provided nothing to back that up.
Late Friday night, Trump took to his social media platform to raise the alarm. “We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,” he wrote. “Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.” No supporting details accompanied the post.
The agencies responsible for maintaining and policing the National Mall — the U.S. Park Police, National Park Service, and Interior Department — had not responded to media requests for comment as of the time of this report.
According to a report from The Washington Post, Park Police did arrest an individual on Friday who was allegedly peeling paint from the pool. However, that single incident does not account for the widespread algae growth turning the water green or the large sections of blue paint that have separated from the pool’s floor.
Trump pressed further on Truth Social, drawing a comparison to another recent incident at the National Mall. “No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” he posted.
That comment referred to a discovery made the previous week, when large numbers — “86 47” — were found etched into discolored grass on the National Mall. Authorities said the markings may have been intended as a threat toward Trump, who serves as the 47th president. The number 86 is commonly used as slang for eliminating or getting rid of something. An investigation into that incident is ongoing.
Trump’s remarks came after days of public criticism over the pool’s condition. He had made the renovation a priority, spending more than $14 million to spruce up the landmark ahead of the America 250 celebrations. Shortly after the project wrapped up, an algae bloom turned the water back to a murky green — the very color Trump had tried to eliminate by having the pool’s bottom painted what he called “American flag blue.”
Workers then treated the water with chemicals to combat the algae. The result: large chunks of that blue paint have now fallen away, leaving the pool’s rocky bottom exposed for all to see.
