{"id":2129,"date":"2026-06-24T15:10:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=2129"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:10:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:10:31","slug":"white-house-blames-leftist-activists-for-reflecting-pool-snafus-as-crews-put-up-fencing-to-block-off-the-algae-and-peeling-paint-filled-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=2129","title":{"rendered":"White House blames \u2018leftist activists\u2019 for Reflecting Pool snafus as crews put up fencing to block off the algae- and peeling paint-filled water"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>In a social media post, Trump claimed without supporting evidence that there had been a \u201c350-foot gash\u201d in the paint as the administration faces a self-imposed deadline to fix the\u00a0botched renovation\u00a0before the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary celebration next week. He has also said, including again on Tuesday, that the federal government would release images to substantiate his claim.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=2127\">Trump claims consumers are being \u2018gouged\u2019 by gas companies and orders DOJ price probe, as Bessent warns U.S. must avoid \u2018foreign chokepoints\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Trump pledged to beautify the century-old Reflecting Pool ahead of the anniversary celebrations, draining its water and having the bottom painted a color he dubbed \u201cAmerican flag blue.\u201d But since the site was restored, its water has been\u00a0plagued with algae bloom\u00a0and pieces of the new coating appeared to be peeling off the bottom.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Trump, without evidence, has repeatedly blamed the peeling paint on vandalism.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was purposefully and criminally done, and somebody had to work very hard, probably in the dark of night, to create such a condition,\u201d Trump wrote Tuesday, adding that another seven people were cited for allegedly damaging the pool.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Park Police and the Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the arrests or Trump\u2019s claim of vandalism.<\/p>\n<p>The Associated Press verified that\u00a0one man was arrested\u00a0after touching the already-peeling paint. He said he wanted to examine the new coating, touching a still-attached chunk briefly then letting go shortly after a park worker told him to.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h4>A maintenance problem morphs into a law enforcement issue<\/h4>\n<p>National Guard members and Park Police have been patrolling the deck around the pool after Trump insisted over the weekend that vandals were responsible for damage to the liner, without providing evidence.<\/p>\n<p>Crews were seen adding fencing near the area late Tuesday. An Interior spokeswoman said the Reflecting Pool \u201cwas always set to be fenced off ahead of the 4th of July,\u201d noting that one of the launch pads for the fireworks is near the pool.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWith 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,\u201d spokeswoman Katie Martin said in an email. She did not provide evidence of her claim about the political leanings of possible vandals.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Trump said Tuesday that the Interior Department will release images of alleged vandalism at the pool. Pressed by reporters after Air Force One landed in Pennsylvania for a visit to a trucking company, Trump said Interior is \u201cgoing to share\u201d photos and videos of the alleged vandalism, which remains unverified.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The president had said on Monday that the images existed and the federal government would provide them. No photos were made public as of Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>The arrests highlighted what\u2019s expected to be tightened security in the capital ahead of and during the 250th anniversary celebrations, which are set to draw large crowds to the National Mall and other tourist sites.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=2125\">Trump mistakes the bully pulpit for bullying leadership \u2014 history\u2019s villains were never heroes<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Trump also said Tuesday that \u201csome of the water\u201d will be drained from the pool \u201ceither immediately before or after the Fourth of July, to do the permanent repair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was unclear from his post what the scale, scope or cost of the permanent repair would be.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a contractor on the pool project, said it has identified some areas in the Reflecting Pool that require repairs. \u201cThese areas are a very small part of the massive 7-acre project, and do not indicate a failure of the liner,\u201d the company said in a statement. The company said it expected to make the repairs to the pool once it is drained, as part of the warranty.<\/p>\n<h4>Environmental group wades in after duckling found dead<\/h4>\n<p>Adding to the controversy swirling around the pool, an environmental group called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate after a Mallard duckling carcass was photographed floating in the algae-filled pool, and two other ducks were found dead nearby. The Center for Biological Diversity said Tuesday that the Wildlife Service must enforce the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protects migratory birds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWasting taxpayer money turning the reflecting pool into a giant duck death trap just in time for America\u2019s 250th birthday party is as Trump as it gets. Cruel, stupid and selfish,\u201d said Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Arizona-based group.<\/p>\n<p>City Wildlife, a Washington-based rescue and rehabilitation non-profit that also conducts necropsies on birds found in the city, said they could not comment on the cause of the death of the duckling because its carcass \u201cwasn\u2019t recovered for examination.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h4>Renovation project plagued ahead of the 250 celebrations<\/h4>\n<p>Trump pitched the original improvements as intended to clean, beautify and reinforce an iconic site that he said had become dilapidated and dirty because of previous presidents\u2019 neglect. Algae has plagued the pool for a century, and Trump insisted that the newly installed \u201cAmerican flag blue\u201d coating, which he selected himself, would turn the pool into a gleaming expanse along the National Mall.<\/p>\n<p>Yet within weeks of Trump declaring the rehabilitation completed in time for Independence Day, the water was plagued by a vivid green algae bloom that clouded the pool\u2019s coating. A piece of liner, about 4 square feet, was observed on Friday, partially floating in the pool. The Associated Press saw additional pieces in the water on Monday.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Workers were seen in recent days pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool in an attempt to kill the algae. Hydrogen peroxide can act as a paint remover.<\/p>\n<p>Experts say the dark lining can add to algae growth by absorbing more sunlight than lighter surfaces. That raises the surrounding water temperature, allowing algae to thrive.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=2123\">Top CD rates from major banks on June 24, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>___<\/p>\n<p>Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a social media post, Trump claimed without supporting evidence that there had been a \u201c350-foot gash\u201d in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-white-house"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>White House blames \u2018leftist activists\u2019 for Reflecting Pool snafus as crews put up fencing to block off the algae- and peeling paint-filled water - 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