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Trump says Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalized, defends response to algae bloom

Federal crews are cleaning the pool as investigators review Trump’s vandalism claim, while algae and peeling blue material continue to draw visitors.

  • President Donald Trump has blamed "vandalism" for severe setbacks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, claiming that bad actors deliberately targeted the landmark to sabotage its new look.
  • The pool was just refilled after a swift $14.2 million makeover ordered by Trump to paint the basin's bottom "American flag blue" for the country's upcoming 250th anniversary, but it was quickly hit by massive algae blooms that turned the water a murky green.
  • Experts believe the peeling blue coating was actually caused by the cleanup effort, noting that the heavy doses of hydrogen peroxide dumped into the water by federal workers to kill the algae is a primary active ingredient used in commercial paint removers.
  • Trump singled out ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl, claiming on Truth Social that the journalist was a vandal who was "seen sticking his hand into the pool and trying to rip the rubber off" after Karl pulled a floating chunk of the loose blue material out during a broadcast.
  • The administration linked the pool's issues to a broader string of incidents, pointing to an active police investigation on the National Mall where the numbers "86 47" were found etched into a large patch of grass—slang authorities are treating as a potential threat against the 47th president.
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Buzzfeed broke the news in New York, United States on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
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