this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2026
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Donald Trump positioned himself as a swimming pool expert as he touted the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovations he ordered this year, having put in “more than 100” over his career.

But after spending $14 million in taxpayer funds, the Reflecting Pool now looks arguably worse than it did before.

Aside from the bright green hue of the water — the product of what is reportedly one of the largest algae blooms in recent years — the “industrial-grade swimming pool topping” that Trump chose is already peeling off in sheets.

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[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 139 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

the Reflecting Pool now looks arguably worse than it did before.

Arguably? What a weasel word. It looks worse than it did before. There's no sane person who could argue that a massive algae bloom and paint peeling off the bottom don't make it look worse.

The Reflecting Pool now looks much much worse than it did before.

[–] svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone 27 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

There is beauty to be found in an algal bloom, just as there is beauty to be found in hyenas eating an antelope alive. /hj

[–] Calfpupa@lemmy.ml 14 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
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[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 62 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

US not being able to tame a knee-deep pool is peak empire collapse indicator.

[–] madcaesar@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

🤣 This is actually really funny... The orange shitbag bragged about all his amazing pools, that's when I knew there is zero chance he knows jack shit about pools

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The country that developed atomic energy and manned spaceflight.

[–] j5906@feddit.org 11 points 2 weeks ago

The country that had the first nuclear reactor connected to the grid was the USSR with Obninsk. The scientist first discovering nuclear fission were the chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann and physicists Lise Meitner and Otto Robert Frisch (all german and austrian).

The first manned spaceflight was Vostok 1 with Yuri Gagarin (USSR).

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[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 50 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Keep some of the paint that peels off. It'll be a good reminder of the stupidity of Trump and the American people for electing him. It's part of your history.

[–] MrVilliam@sh.itjust.works 52 points 2 weeks ago

And assuming you're a tax payer, you fucking paid for it so it's yours.

[–] GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago

The next President should frame a piece and make it Trump’s official White House portrait.

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[–] W3dd1e@lemmy.zip 50 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

This is my favorite Trump scandal.

It sucks we’re blowing through cash because we have an idiot for president, but I feel okay laughing at it because it doesn’t involve bombing a school in Iran, destroying immigrant families, tanking the economy, child sexual abuse, taking rights away from minorities, or stealing elections…to name a few.

Thank god he also wrecked a pond.

[–] bridgeburner@lemmy.world 44 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This story gets more hilarious by the day lol

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[–] Astronut@lemmy.zip 35 points 2 weeks ago

Money well vandalized! Lord Feltersnatch and his buddies made buck!

[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 32 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] D_C@sh.itjust.works 29 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Ok, ok, ok, people are giving the obese orange child rapist shit for this BUT let's think of it a bit differently...
Aren't we all now, in a way, 'reflecting' about how shitty the job was? And the obvious corruption of handing out all that cash to mate who is a pool guy? And about how it is 'reflective' of the "Draining of the Swamp" the mushy brained syphilis filled realty TV 'star' would get his horde of idiots to chant?

If we look at it this way then that pool is doing a lottttt of reflecting!!!

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[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 25 points 2 weeks ago

A no bid contract I would add.

If you put down new paint, you need to clean and dry the surface. Any real contractor would know that.

One is cdertain the contractor paid kickbacks to the administration for that contract, and that everyone is paying kickbacks for everything at this point. We have organized crime ruling the country.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is probably for the best. Just scrape it up and let it be.

It acted like a natural pond. Water slowly filtered out through the granite and was replaced, filtering it, keeping it clean, but also letting it be still.

Which. Only still water reflects.

If you add a pool filter and circulation system (and that would be a massive, useless expense,) it won’t reflect like it was designed to do.

This is what happens when you vote for geriatric imbeciles more concerned with grifting a nation and fucking kids than working for Americans as president.

[–] Perky@fedia.io 33 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I heard a theory that Trump literally just doesn't know what a reflecting pool is. He thinks all pools are swimming pools, so he's turning it into a swimming pool. I have no proof for this but like... it fits.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

Well, he did bleat out that stupid AI image of him, some of his staff, and some woman, swimming in it as if it was a pool.

[–] SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 weeks ago

Trump literally just doesn’t know what a reflecting pool is.

He KNOWS it's taller than a skyscraper if you stand it on end.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

I mean... I'm pretty sure Trump was always a dumb fucker, but these day's he's probably so heavily dosed with shit he's got a longer drug test report than Musk and Kash combined.

[–] desmosthenes@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago

what a metaphor

[–] Starik@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Probably due to all the caustic chemicals they dumped in it to kill the algae.

[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Not unbelievable that these morons didn't select a chemically resistant coating, but it's more likely this is due to bad surface prep than the hydrogen peroxide - if it was the result of the peroxide we'd be seeing far more damage than the few chunks spotted thus far. Though, time will tell on that front...

[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 9 points 2 weeks ago

The fact that it comes off in sheets is a really good indicator that it never really stuck to yhe surface. Can't wait until it all comes off and he takes credit because it looks better now.

[–] Iusedtobeanalien@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Like his military parade

Like his concerts

Like his marriages

Like his administration

Half-arsed shit

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[–] nialv7@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

You can't make this shit up

[–] xonigo@lemmy.zip 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Drain the water and replace it with Blue Gatorade. I've seen a documentary in which this kills the plants..

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 weeks ago

No it doesn't, the plants need electrolytes.

[–] PrimeErective@startrek.website 16 points 2 weeks ago

Look at those protestors flying the Algae-BT flag. I bet they're behind all of this!

[–] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Dang, guess they'll need another $14 mil paint job done lol

[–] TrippingBalls@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

$25 mil.. Because he was initially trying to save tax payer money... And it's seriously an emergency now before the 4th of July... And everyone laughs at his stupidity

Whats the worst thing of the last month.. The reflecting pool or the Iran peace deal?

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[–] CharcoalRushmoore@reddthat.com 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Step 1. Create a swamp Step 2. Drain the swamp

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 weeks ago

Step 3. Create a war Step 4. Lose the war

Step 5. Complain that everyone is still yelling to release the fucking Epstein files.

[–] Rcklsabndn@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 weeks ago

The rational solution here is to drain off the nasty green water, replace it with peroxide, then mount a toilet puck every five feet around the rim.

The water will be nice and blue like the water features at his favorite mini golf course, and it'll smell just like his office.

[–] mctoasterson@reddthat.com 12 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Anyone who has ever painted a boat, fountain, or pool, will tell you it is an uncle fucker to get durable results, even if you use those special marine paints.

Dunno why they'd spend this much to apply a coating guaranteed to degrade and look like shit almost immediately.

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Dunno why they’d spend this much

ITS TO STEAL MONEY THAT'S ALL TRUMP DOES THAT'S THE ANSWER TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS HE DID IT TO STEAL MONEY IT'S VERY OBVIOUS

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[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Guys.

Guys.

... It can't last FOREVER.

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

An allegory for this entire administration.

A costly grift that paid someone a lot of money who is not an expert to do a shitty job, try to fix it the wrong way multiple times, while the whole thing falls apart and trump talks about how great a job was done.

Apply that to everything he does except manipulate stocks.

[–] auzy1@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago

They're already saying it needs protection from democrats who want to damage it

So.. already setting up the scapegoat

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Honest questions. If he wanted it blue, why not stain the concrete? Was it cracked? Did it actually need repair?

[–] faltryka@lemmy.world 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That might have happened if he sought competing bids from experts, but he just funneled the job to his pool guy, who was out of his depth.

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[–] rljkeimig@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I thought the bottom was granite, and fairly dark so probably not able to be stained.

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[–] foodandart@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 weeks ago

Well, it's nice to see that the American taxpayers got their money's worth for the workmanship and materials of the project.

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 weeks ago

The pool paint job is still going better than more than half the things the Trump administration has undertaken. That should say a lot.

[–] Bristlecone@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago
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