Trump blames vandalism for reflecting pool damage, defends response to algae bloom

President Donald Trump, in a social media post late Friday, blamed vandalism for the damage to the newly installed coating in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and defended his administration’s handling of the algae bloom. 

“[W]e’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool…” Trump said in a post to Truth Social. 

“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. 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,” the president wrote. 

He added that the damaged area is “small” and “will be fixed early next week.” 

Since the project was completed, algae growth has turned the pool green. National Park Service workers have used hydrogen peroxide to combat the growth alongside a new filtration system. 

There have also been reports that portions of the new “American flag blue” coating on the floor of the pool have begun to peel off in certain areas. 

Just days before the president’s 80th birthday, the numbers “86 47” were etched into the grass of the National Mall. The number 86 has been used to refer to removing someone, and Trump is the 47th U.S. president. The administration has argued that “86” carries a more nefarious meaning, including a possible threat to the president’s life. 

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on charges of making threats against Trump after he posted a photo on Instagram showing seashells on a beach arranged to show the number 8647.