The botched renovation of Washington, DC’s Reflecting Pool has become a fresh political spectacle in the United States. President Donald Trump, who promoted the project as a costly fix for long-standing problems, is now refusing to take responsibility for the failure and instead claims “radical left” vandals attacked the pool with knives and fertilizer, without offering evidence.
The pool, nearly 620 meters long on the National Mall between the Lincoln and Washington monuments, was announced for refurbishment in April as part of preparations for America’s 250th Independence Day celebrations next month. Trump had said the project would be quick, cheap, and finished in time for July 4, but the price rose from an initial $1.8 million estimate to $16.4 million. The work included draining the pool and coating the bottom in a blue rubber surface Trump called “American flag blue.”
Instead of solving the pool’s chronic leaks and algae problems, the overhaul appears to have made things worse. After refilling, the water turned green again, and parts of the blue coating have begun peeling. Experts quoted in US media said the darker new coating may be warming the water and accelerating algae growth. Workers have been seen trying to clean the pool, including with chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, and Trump has suggested, again without proof, that someone spread fertilizer in the water.
Trump also lashed out at media coverage and threatened to sue ABC. He conceded the pool may need to be drained again and repaired, leaving it unclear whether the project will be completed before the July 4 celebrations. The company that did the recoating, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, said the peeling affects only a small area and does not mean the material itself is defective.
In the meantime, the administration says five people were arrested on suspicion of vandalism and five others were cited. One of those detained, 67-year-old Maryland resident David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, says he only touched a loose piece of coating out of curiosity and denied damaging anything. He was released after five hours and is due in court on July 9.
