For decades, Donald Trump has insisted that his government projects would run more smoothly if managed just like his businesses. But that hasn’t been the case with his controversial $14 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He ordered the century-old basin to be drain ed, resurfaced, and repainted after claiming it had been ruined by the last president. Trump’s $14 million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation faced lawsuits, delays, and questions about the president’s exaggerated claims before algae turned the project into an online embarrassment just days after reopening. (Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) After spending millions to make the water bluer, eagle-eyed fans online have quickly connected the dots between his words and the truth. Trump recently wrapped up one of his highest-profile projects that stretches from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument along the National Mall. Crews spent weeks draining the historic landmark, repairing leaks, and repainting the basin in the president’s preferred shade of — “American flag blue.” The controversy intensified again Tuesday morning when workers were captured on video carrying and pouring dozens of buckets of chemicals into the Reflecting Pool as crews attempted to address the growing algae problem. The footage quickly circulated online, sparking concerns from environmental advocates and critics who questioned what was being added to the water and whether wildlife could be affected. One critic wrote, “Do you have any idea how much hydrogen peroxide you’d need to kill the algae in the Reflecting Pool? It’s not a huge deal, obviously, but this is another example of how absolutely stupid the people in charge right now are.” Another warned, “Please stop dumping chemicals in the Reflecting Pool,” after images showed ducks swimming through water coated with visible algae, raising concerns about the impact on wildlife. Someone else chimed in, “The poor baby ducks don’t even know the bs going on either, they’re just trying to live.” Ironically, some observers argue Trump’s bright blue makeover may have made the algae problem even more noticeable. ‘Absolute Waste’: Trump’s ‘Pool Guy’ Tries to Shut Down Reflecting Pool Mistakes— Then Let It Slip the Issue He’s Attacked Obama for Still Exists ‘What? So He Lied?’: Trump Makes Wild Claim About the Lincoln Reflecting Pool Before One Brutal Side-by-Side Has Critics Saying His Math Is Not Adding Up Water doesn’t simply stay the color designers intend. Algae thrive when sunlight, warm temperatures, nutrients, and calm water all line up in the same environment, according to Newsweek. However, fresh paint can’t stop that natural process. The bright blue coating beneath the water can sometimes make algae blooms, which contain chlorophyll, the same pigment that turns grass and leaves green. Last week, Interior Department officials attributed the discoloration to algae that remained inside dormant supply lines during construction. “What you are seeing is residual algae from the supply lines, which have been sitting dormant for eight weeks while construction has been taking place,” communications director Kate Martin said in a statement. “It’s part of the normal startup process. We are removing the algae, and the nanobubblers will maintain the pool and keep it algae free,” she added. That explanation, paired with shocking new images, did little to slow down internet users who made jokes. “Ughhhh. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was never this green under Biden or Obama,” one person wrote, as a jab at Trump’s past complaints. A second observer stated, “Everyone was saying this would happen. It did not take a genius to know a dark bottom both reflects and absorbs heat that only makes algae grow faster. I guarantee its leaky af too.” Someone else quipped, “It was indeed beautiful once. So sad!” After seeing what some described as “nasty” and “moldy-looking” water, critics piled on with even harsher reactions. Another shared, “This is so sad! He should have left it alone and focused on making groceries affordable instead.” One outraged person noted, “Everyone was saying this would happen. It did not take a genius to know a dark bottom both reflects and absorbs heat that only makes algae grow faster. I guarantee its leaky af too.” Another joked, “The new name is about to be changed to… The Donald Trump/Lincoln Memorial Cesspool.” Critics also called it “The Trump Green Mile.” The backlash intensified after additional reports claimed crews were making last-minute adjustments right before the project’s unveiling. Images circulated in May 2026 appeared to show workers rushing to finish portions of the work before cameras arrived on site. Those reports fueled accusations that officials were more focused on meeting a deadline than ensuring the renovation was actually ready for public viewing. The problems surrounding the renovation did not begin with the algae. It actually faced controversy before crews even drained the historic pool. In May, the Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the renovation entirely. The group argued the Trump administration violated the National Historic Preservation Act and skipped the congressional review required for changes to protected federal landmarks. The lawsuit failed, and work continued. The renovation also blew past one of Trump’s biggest promises. When announcing the project, he claimed crews would drain, resurface, repaint, and refill the pool in just two weeks. That timeline collapsed. Repainting the basin “American Flag Blue” and repairing the surrounding stonework stretched the job to roughly two months. Even amid the delays, Trump kept making strange claims about the landmark’s size. During a June 10 Oval Office meeting, he celebrated the nearly finished project, declaring the pool was “almost 2,500 foot long, that’s taller than any building in the world, actually.” Scrutiny followed immediately, since the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, stands 2,717 feet. Trump doubled down anyway. “There’s no building that’s 2,500 feet tall, I don’t think, but it’s like twice the height of the Empire State Building, as an example, much wider,” he said. He has repeatedly called the reflecting pool a “lake” or “pond,” often comparing its length to the height of skyscrapers. At one point, he even displayed an Oval Office chart titled “Our Pool is Bigger than Skyscrapers,” ranking its dimensions against famous buildings worldwide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NAACP (@naacp) In April, Trump announced plans to renovate the pool. He said a friend visiting from Germany had complained that it looked dirty and unkempt. His solution was to repaint it American blue. The plan backfired. Painting a freshwater pool does not make it cleaner. It makes the water dirtier. Critics say the mistake could have been avoided with the right advisers in place. The Secretary of the Interior, a role well-suited to someone with a background in science and the natural world, is currently held by Doug Burgum. Burgum comes from the tech industry and has no background in environmental science. Apparently, no one warned Trump that paint and freshwater do not mix well. It is another example of a quick decision leading to an unintended outcome. ‘So Sad’: Trump’s Blue Mega-Project Flooded With Mystery Chemicals After Slime Disaster—And the Shocking Footage of Ducks Swimming Through Sparks Fury ...read more read less