Trump says ‘criminally made’ algae purged from Reflecting Pool

Published June 28, 2026 3:59pm ET | Updated June 28, 2026 3:59pm ET



President Donald Trump on Sunday said the “criminally made” algae had been removed from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following two weeks of the water being plagued with the aquatic scum.

The Reflecting Pool has been under Beltway pundits’ microscope after it was refilled following renovations and quickly turned green with algae blooms, with the “American Flag Blue” paint detaching from the surface. Trump has repeatedly claimed vandals were responsible for the algae, but the pool has been prone to algae blooms since it was built in 1922.

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