Donald Trump has blamed vandalism for the problems plaguing the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington D.C. just weeks after his administration spent $14 million painting it “American Flag Blue.”
The pool turned green shortly after its unveiling due to an algal bloom, with workers this week seen unloading large quantities of hydrogen peroxide into the water in an attempt to fix it.
Blue paint has also been spotted peeling off the landmark.
However, on Truth Social Trump did not attribute the problems to algae or paint quality. Instead he pointed the finger at sabotage.
“We’ve had some real problems with vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,” he wrote, claiming that people had “done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed” and used chemicals in the water “to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work.”
He went on to blame “Radical Left Lunatics, most likely Dumocats, who have spent their lives trying to ruin our Country,” and said law enforcement was actively investigating.
Trump also said the algae is now “75 percent gone” and that any vandalized areas would be fixed “early next week.”
Administration takes aim at Obama and Biden
A White House spokesperson separately told The Independent that the situation was under control, taking the opportunity to criticize past administrations in the process.
“Unlike under Obama and Biden, the National Park Service is actually maintaining the beautifully completed Reflecting Pool,” the spokesperson said, adding that “nanobubble ozone technology” was being deployed to kill algae and other contaminants.
Scientists and pool experts have attributed the green color to a naturally occurring algal bloom, in which microscopic plants multiply rapidly in the water. No evidence of vandalism has been presented.
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