Trump Claims ‘Vandalism’ Caused Reflecting Pool Debacle, Accuses ABC Reporter of Trying To Make It Worse
Article excerpt
For good measure, Trump accused ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl of "trying to rip the rubber off of the surface." The post Trump Claims ‘Vandalism’ Caused Reflecting Pool Debacle, Accuses ABC Reporter of Trying To Make It Worse first appeared on Mediaite.
President Donald Trump is now claiming that the problems with the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool were caused by unidentified vandals.
The president has taken a personal interest in the renovations and frequently raised the topic during press gaggles. Since the job was completed, the pool has been plagued by algae blooms. This week, visitors to the pool began to notice paint peeling away from the bottom. The algae has given the pool a distinct green hue instead of the intended American flag blue. Some tourists have reportedly been ripping off pieces of the paint to take as souvenirs.
Trump addressed the problems on Friday night in a post on Truth Social. He bragged about having “beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues, and 22 Fountains in Washington, D.C.”
The president pivoted to the pool, whose problems he blamed on vandalism. For good measure, Trump accused ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl of “trying to rip the rubber off of the surface”:
[W]e’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial. Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed. No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work. Lightweight ABC Reporter, Jonathan Karl, was seen sticking his hand into the Pool, and trying to rip the rubber off of the surface. The algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week.
Trump added that police are “actively investigating this situation, and will hopefully have it resolved soon.”
The president’s reference to Karl seems to be an allusion to a video the reporter shot at the Reflecting Pool on Thursday, where he reached into the pool and held a piece of peeling paint to show viewers the problem. At no point did Karl attempt to “rip” anything off, as Trump claimed.
In a subsequent post, Trump posted an image of a person standing near the pool while wearing a shirt that reads, “TEAM ALGAE,” as if to provide support for his claim.
The Reflecting Pool was renovated by Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based company that was awarded a $13.1 billion no-bid contract.
On Thursday, The New York Times reported that the pool’s new water purification system was installed via another no-bid contract, by Greenwater Services, which is owned by J.J. Cafaro Trust, headed by John J. Cafaro. In 2001, Cafaro pleaded guilty to bribing a congressman, whom he later testified against.
The post Trump Claims ‘Vandalism’ Caused Reflecting Pool Debacle, Accuses ABC Reporter of Trying To Make It Worse first appeared on Mediaite.