Donald Trump has sparked a fresh war of words over the iconic Washington Reflecting Pool, deploying armed National Guard troops and rage-posting about a 'pro-algae' conspiracy. The $16 million (£12m) overhaul, aimed at curing decades of leaks, structural decay and duck droppings, has descended into chaos just weeks after completion.
Renovation Gone Wrong
The Trump-inspired renovation included adding a deep 'American Flag Blue' paint to the pool's floor to make it pop. Instead, it has peeled right off, leaving the historic monument looking like a mess. The US President has refused to blame the botched paint job, instead pointing the finger at 'sick, deranged' delinquents armed with blades and lawn care products.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump posted: 'It has been given a 300-foot gash, chemicals have been illegally placed in the water, and the beautiful new grass field has been destroyed with "86 47" chemically carved into it.' He later upped the ante in the Oval Office, claiming the slice was actually '350ft' long and alleged 'somebody said they might have put fertiliser there,' triggering a massive algae bloom.
Arrests and Olympic Involvement
As chunks of deep blue paint floated to the surface for tourists to scoop out, US Park Police cracked down hard, with five people arrested. Among them was 62-year-old former US Olympian David Hearn, who was handcuffed after allegedly touching a 'loose flap of coating' out of curiosity. Hearn blasted the charges as a 'farce,' saying: 'It's a completely unfounded accusation. It's a lie. I didn't rip, tear, destruct, destroy, or harm in any way, any part of the reflecting pool.'
Protesters and Algae Blooms
The bizarreness peaked when Trump eyeballed a protester dressed as a neon pink frog at the Lincoln Memorial. Sharing a snapshot of the amphibian activist holding a banner reading 'First they came for the algae,' Trump went on a wild historical tangent. 'Here is another example of a crazy pro-algae (likely paid) protester,' Trump wrote online, explaining that the frog's sign was a twist on a famous post-WW2 anti-Nazi statement.
As the water turned bright neon green, the Department of the Interior deployed a high-tech $1.7 million 'nanobubbler' system to blast the slime with microscopic ozone bubbles. When that failed, panicked crews just dumped massive vats of raw hydrogen peroxide straight into the pool. The chemical cocktail didn't sit well with local nature. Tragic images of a dead duckling floated up alongside the peeling blue paint, sparking fury online.
National Guard and Legal Threats
With National Guard troops watching the waterway, Trump dropped a threatening reminder that he will readily put them in the slammer over the muddy puddle. He said: 'Please remember that there is a 10 year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things - Which will be fully enforced!'
The DC Water authority has now granted a permit to completely drain the structure for a second time this month. Meanwhile, Trump is preparing lawsuits against ABC News over their 'inaccurate' coverage. 'I spent approximately 16 Million Dollars, and it came out great, except for the Vandalism, which we are now fixing,' Trump posted, claiming any lawsuit cash will go straight to the US Treasury.
