What started as US President Donald Trump’s ambitious $14 million effort to spruce up one of the country’s most iconic landmarks ahead of the 250th anniversary of America’s birth has quickly turned into a stunning spectacle.
TOI correspondent from Washington: The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the US capital was designed to reflect America’s greatness. Instead, it currently reeks of an expensive middle school science experiment that went spectacularly wrong.What began as US President Donald Trump’s ambitious $14 million effort to spruce up one of the country’s most iconic landmarks ahead of the 250th anniversary of America’s birth, has quickly turned into a spectacle — and controversy — that combines chemistry, biology, politics, social media ridicule and a federal infrastructure project gone rogue. The president’s vision was clear enough. The historic and often neglected body of water, which runs between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, will get a patriotic makeover featuring a deep layer of “American Flag Blue” intended to create a more dramatic mirror effect.
Instead, within days of the renovation, bright green algae developed in the pool that made the restored memorial look less like a shrine to democracy and more like a resort for amphibians.
Naturally, social media responded with the maturity and restraint it is known for. One viral post described the pool as a “giant bowl of guacamole guarded by Abraham Lincoln,” while another suggested renaming it “MAGA Verde Lagoon.”
A Photoshopped image showed Lincoln gazing solemnly across the green water with the caption: “Four degrees ago and seven algae blooms.” Another showed a giant aquarium filter installed next to the memorial with the slogan: “Make America Chlorinated Again.”
“The Trump administration’s explanation initially focused on technical factors and unexpected environmental conditions. Critics pointed to a simpler theory routinely taught in science classes: dark surfaces absorb heat.
As one engineer pointed out online, the project apparently discovered — at taxpayer expense — that the dark layer heats the water, creating ideal conditions for algae to grow.
Claims have circulated about Trump’s sketchy cronies winning no-bid contracts for the job. To combat the boom, workers were seen pouring hydrogen peroxide into the seven-million-gallon aquarium, generating a second round of amusement, as comedians pounced on the fiasco like seagulls on a deserted beach picnic.
Jimmy Kimmel joked that Trump “promised to drain the swamp… and instead spent $14 million building a new swamp,” while noting that “they have workers dumping gallons of hydrogen peroxide in there — which is also how he dyes his hair, by the way.”
The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper had perhaps the most memorable review, marveling that the pool looked as if “Shrek hosted a convention there.” While officials appeared to have the algae problem under control, reports emerged that the expensive blue paint itself was starting to peel.
Large fragments reportedly floated to the surface like seaweed in a huge bowl of federal soup, leading to more jokes. However, Washington being Washington, the problem of direct maintenance quickly acquired political dimensions. MAGA commentators and conspiracy theorists accused Democrats and liberals of sabotaging the project. Others have theorized that hostile bureaucrats, environmental regulations, climate activists, rogue microbes, or various combinations of them, were somehow responsible.
The MAGA boss quickly resorted to the blame game, suggesting that one journalist had deliberately ripped off the cover and posted, “It’s a shame that the radical leftist lunatics, most likely the Dumocats, who have spent their lives trying to destroy our country, are free to do this.
“Meanwhile, crews have deployed an increasingly impressive arsenal of corrective measures, from vacuum systems to water treatments and filtration upgrades.
Nanobubbles — devices designed to increase oxygen levels and improve water quality — entered the conversation, looking less like infrastructure equipment and more like characters from a Pixar movie. At various points, the rescue effort began to resemble an episode involving the National Park Service, a pool maintenance company, and desperate chemistry teachers.
Tourists visiting the National Mall watched the unfolding drama in amazement, and soon crowds flocked to the show. For President Trump, who has long appreciated the visual spectacle and grand symbolism of the nation’s capital, the reflecting pool was meant to become a glittering national centerpiece for the semicentennial celebrations. Instead, it became the most expensive and famous swamp in Washington.
