President Donald Trump spent $16.4 million dollars on a no-bid contract to paint the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, painting it “American flag blue” for the July 4 celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.
However, when algae blooms turned the pool bright green and chunks of the pool’s new blue coating began floating to the surface, Trump claimed that vandals had put fertilizer into the pool to help the algae grow and also cut a 250-foot gash into the new sealant, “probably in the dark of night.” (Though the length of the gash increased each time he mentioned it, CNN reported.)
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Trump then said that the U.S. Department of the Interior would publicly release photos and video to prove the vandalism occurred. But as of Wednesday afternoon, no such evidence had been released, The Guardian reported.
Trump said six people have been arrested for allegedly vandalizing the pool, but neither the Interior Department nor the White House have released any documents mentioning the arrestees’ names or the charges they face. A June 9 report by the U.S. Park Police did describe “razor blade slashes,” but it didn’t explain how they might have occurred nor did it mention any vandals dumping fertilizer.
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U.S. Olympic canoeist David “Davey” Hearn was arrested for vandalism last Friday after touching a piece of the detached coating. He says he didn’t vandalize the pool and hasn’t been told what crime he’s actually charged with. His lawyer says his arrest is just an attempt by the Trump administration to distract “from the real questions of how this project was managed, including its corrupt no-bid contracting process.”
On Tuesday night, Fox News aired video that the Interior Department said showed people “vandalizing” the pool. The video just showed two people briefly crouching and reaching inside the pool for a few seconds while other people walked around them. Even Fox News commentators said the video didn’t clearly show someone committing a crime.
Protective fencing has since been erected around the pool. The Interior Department said the fencing had always planned as part of July Fourth preparations, but added, “With the increase in vandalism by leftist activists, the fencing is going up earlier than originally planned to ensure no more damage is done to this historic site.”
A dead duckling was found floating in the pool on Sunday. Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity, said, “Wasting taxpayer money turning the reflecting pool into a giant duck death trap just in time for America’s 250th birthday party is as Trump as it gets — cruel, stupid and selfish.”
Experts say the blue color may actually be helping the algae grow because its darker tone traps more heat. Workers have since poured hydrogen peroxide into the pool to decrease algae, but the chemical can also remove paint, which could worsen the chunks of blue paint floating in it.
Regardless, the pool won’t be ready for the July 4 semiquincentennial celebrations. The contractors who painted the pool said it’ll take weeks to fix.
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