Topline<\/p>\n
Chunks of peeled blue paint were spotted inside the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, just days after President Donald Trump\u2019s recent $14.2 million renovations were carried out, including a demand by the president to paint the bottom of the pool \u201cAmerican Flag Blue\u201d color.<\/p>\n
Seen through algae-laden green water, a tear in the recently applied sealant can be seen on the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.<\/p>\n
Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Photos and videos<\/a> showed dark blue flaps both at the bottom of the pool and floating on the surface, even as the National Park Service battled to get rid of algae, which has reappeared, turning the pool green.<\/p>\n It is unclear what is causing the blue coat of paint to peel off the bottom of the pool, but it came a few days after National Park workers poured containers of 12% hydrogen peroxide<\/a> into the pool to get rid of the green algae, which has reappeared.<\/p>\n Trump officials blamed<\/a> past presidential administrations for the algal bloom\u2014echoing the president’s criticism\u2014but it’s unclear why the renovation process failed to address it.<\/p>\n Aerial shots of the pool shared by ABC News<\/a> showed the extent of the algae bloom, with edges of the pool appearing dark blue while the center looked green.<\/p>\n The president himself has not yet commented on either the return of the algae or the peeling paint, but last week on Truth Social, he shared<\/a> several news articles praising the pool\u2019s renovation.<\/p>\n Tangent<\/p>\n The New York Times reported<\/a> late on Thursday that a business owned by a longtime Trump supporter and key donor, John J. Cafaro, was given a no-bid $1.7 million contract to install a water-purification system in the reflecting pool. An Interior Department spokesperson told the Times that Cafaro\u2019s Ohio-based firm, Greenwater Services, has set up temporary water-purification sites at the pool and will install a permanent system this week. The official also denied knowledge of Cafaro\u2019s political links and said his firm was picked \u201cbecause they had the expertise, workforce and materials.\u201d<\/p>\n tangent<\/p>\n Last month, the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a nonprofit group, sued the Trump<\/a> administration in federal court over the repainting of the Reflecting Pool. In the suit, filed before the D.C. federal court<\/a>, the plaintiffs had argued that the repainting was \u201cblatantly unlawful\u201d and that the pool floor\u2019s dark grey is a deliberate design choice. The filing also noted that the dark-colored floor created the \u201cillusion of greater depth and a more profound reflection.\u201d The non-profit\u2019s President and CEO, Charles Birnbaum, said at the time: \u201cA blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.\u201d The suit urges the court to block the repair work and restore the pool to its original color.<\/p>\n National Park Service employees and contractors use vacuums to remove green algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n Seen through algae-laden green water, a tear in the recently applied sealant can be seen on the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.<\/p>\n Getty Imagesfurther reading<\/p>\n