WASHINGTON – Paint is flaking off Washington’s Reflecting Pool following a renovation ordered by President Donald Trump, who is now claiming the damage was deliberately caused.
“We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote Friday night on his social media platform. “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.” He did not provide evidence or additional specifics to support the allegation.
The agencies that oversee policing and maintenance on the National Mall — including the U.S. Park Police, the National Park Service and the Interior Department — did not immediately return requests for comment.
According to The Washington Post, Park Police arrested a person Friday whom officers accused of peeling paint from the pool. That incident, however, does not account for the visible algae clouding the green water or the broad areas of blue paint that have separated from the pool floor.
Trump maintained that the damage was intentional. “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 wrote on Truth Social.
His remark appeared to refer to an incident the previous week, when large numbers — “86 47” — were found etched into discolored grass on the National Mall. Officials said the message may have been intended as a threat toward Trump, the 47th president, noting that “86” is sometimes used as slang for “getting rid of.” The matter remains under investigation.
Trump’s accusations followed several days of criticism over the pool’s condition. He had prioritized the more than $14 million rehabilitation project ahead of the upcoming America 250 celebrations. But the pool was quickly hit by an algae bloom, turning the water back to the greenish hue he sought to eliminate by having the bottom painted “American flag blue.”
Federal workers applied chemicals to the water in an effort to kill the algae. Since then, sections of the blue coating have come loose, revealing the rocky surface beneath.
