A renovation of Donald Trump’s reflection pool in Washington has quickly become an embarrassment, according to the New York Times. Instead of clear blue water, visitors found green water, peeling paint, and signs of infrastructure failures, just two weeks after the president ordered the work finished.
The U.S. Department of the Interior had touted on social media this week that it had eliminated the algae bloom and posted photos showing apparently clear water. But on the ground, National Park Service crews were seen standing knee-deep in the green water under the hot sun, scrubbing the pool floor and adding hydrogen peroxide in a desperate effort to restore clarity.
Trump responded over the weekend on social media, saying at least some of the problems were caused by “vandalism” from people trying to “destroy and belittle our beautiful work.” He said the algae problem was nearly gone and that the damage would be repaired by the beginning of the week.
The New York Times reported that the rushed renovation ignored deeper structural issues, including broken and leaking pipes that frequently disconnect the century-old pool from its filtration system. Instead of fixing the root cause, the project relied on cosmetic, temporary measures. The paper also said the water-treatment contract was awarded without a tender to a company linked to a longtime Trump supporter, whom Trump reportedly recommended after the firm worked on pools at one of his golf clubs. Meanwhile, tourists on Washington’s main avenue are now forced to step around industrial pumping pipes and floating paint patches rather than see the monument’s reflections.
