What can be gleaned from Washington’s Reflecting Pool on the week of the US’s 250th birthday?
President Donald Trump invested big to revamp the area around the Lincoln Memorial ahead of the semiquincentennial – but an algae outbreak threatens to ruin his grand designs.
Like a magic mirror in a children’s novel, the dappled waters of the Reflecting Pool on Washington’s National Mall seem to echo back the beliefs of the person gazing into it (writes Charlotte McDonald-Gibson). Ken Kolibas, visiting from New Jersey, is a big fan of president Donald Trump’s decision to splash out $14m (€12m) to drain the pool, paint it a vibrant shade of “American Flag Blue”, and refill it ahead of the 250th anniversary of independence on 4 July. So as he surveyed the scene at the pool on Monday, where at least four different law enforcement agencies patrolled the perimeter and television crews trained their cameras on the “nanobubblers” battling the green algae, he remained fully behind the project.
“[It reflects] our nation’s pride and where we came from in 250 years, where other countries are much older than us, and they haven’t done 10 per cent of what we’ve done,” the 71-year-old told Monocle. “I hope it cleans up and everything will look fine for the Fourth of July.”
A short walk along the banks, however, and Mark Reil, a 34-year-old who was visiting from Massachusetts for the Capital Pride Parade, had a different view. “It’s reflecting a troubling time for America,” Reil said. “It’s a waste of money. It’s just sad what’s happening. It’s frustrating and the American public is smart enough to recognise that it’s just wool being pulled over our eyes.”
Of the many controversies besetting the Trump administration, the debacle at the Reflecting Pool is one of the most farcical. In April, Trump announced that he was renovating the 103-year-old shallow pool, which reflects the elegant needle of the Washington Monument at one end and the Lincoln Memorial at the other. It has long been blighted by leaks and algae, and Trump promised to have it spick and span again in time for the semiquincentennial celebrations. He handpicked the resort-style blue for the new coating and posted an AI photo on Truth Social of himself and members of his cabinet in swimsuits and floaties relaxing in the waters.
Trump bypassed the normal competitive bidding for a government contract and gave the job to a company that had done work at one of his golf clubs. Trump promised that it would cost $1.8m (€1.57m) but the total ballooned to more than $14m (€12m).
Within days of it being unveiled after the renovations in early June, the naysayers descended, claiming that it looked black rather than blue. Then came the algae: a massive bloom swiftly turned the pool a vibrant green. Some speculated that the darker colour of the coating made the water warmer and exacerbated the algae problem. Others muttered darkly about Trump’s claims of sabotage and something thrown in the water.
Next, large chunks of the new lining started to detach and float up to the surface. Anyone who was curious enough to reach in and grab a piece found themselves hauled off into custody, including an Olympic canoeist who was one of five people arrested for alleged vandalism at the pool, despite insisting that they had just fished the paint chips out of the water.
A dead duckling was also found floating in the pool, though when Monocle visited on Monday afternoon, there were plenty of healthy wildfowl enjoying the placid waters.
Trump, however, is taking it all personally. In his mind, the problems have been created by his political enemies in a campaign to embarrass him. On Monday, he claimed that someone put fertiliser in the water to encourage the algae, and that a person with “a box cutter or knife of some kind” had waded into the pool and cut a “350-foot slit from one end to the other”. He offered no proof of either allegation.
So the Reflecting Pool now looks like a warzone, with National Guard troops, armed US Marshals, Park Police on horseback and personnel from various sheriffs’ offices patrolling the perimeter. Visitors peer nervously into the water, scared to get too close. Less than a month since its grand unveiling, the pool is again slated to be drained, repaired and refilled, though it’s not clear whether that will happen before 4 July.
Ed Filardi, 60, is just a bit downbeat that the celebrations are being overshadowed by what he calls “much ado about nothing”, reflecting the state of politics in the US today. “We’re all looking for something small to squabble about,” he said with a shrug, before wandering off to check out the algae bloom for himself.
