Reflecting Pool Starts To Stink After Trump Orders It Drained: DC Photographer [View all]
Source: crooksandliars.com
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has a new problem: it's starting to smell.
By David Edwards June 22, 2026
Washington, D.C., freelance photographer Joe Flood posted a photo on X on Monday of the pool being actively drained. "As they drain it, the Reflecting Pool is starting to smell," he wrote.
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Saturday that the pool would "probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs."
The drain order came after a $14 million no-bid renovation cratered almost immediately. Workers painted the pool bottom "American flag blue" then algae bloomed within days, turning the water green and sending the new paint peeling off in strips.
.................
Scientists weren't surprised by the algae. National Public Radio reported that the pool's dark new surface absorbs more sunlight, warming the water and creating ideal conditions for blooms. '.............................
Read more: https://crooksandliars.com/2026/06/reflecting-pool-starts-stink-after-trump
Algae that STINKS!!
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has a new problem: it's starting to smell.
crooksandliars.com/2026/06/refl...
— (@oceancalm.bsky.social) 2026-06-23T02:54:42.589Z