{"id":4561,"date":"2026-06-23T19:15:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/23\/trump-says-dc-reflecting-pool-repairs-may-not-be-done-in-time-for-4-july\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T19:15:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:15:50","slug":"trump-says-dc-reflecting-pool-repairs-may-not-be-done-in-time-for-4-july","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4561","title":{"rendered":"Trump says DC reflecting pool repairs may not be done in time for 4 July"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"b0ce44b9-9bd7-4a0c-bd05-189cbd56c144\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Machinery used for an ozone nanobubble filtration system is deployed along a reflecting pool\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/a20495cb3c5f564a6633789e63d9c1624922637f\/0_0_8192_5464\/master\/8192.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.1513671875\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Machinery is deployed along the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool to counter an algae bloom on 22 June in Washington DC.<\/span> Photograph: Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"b0ce44b9-9bd7-4a0c-bd05-189cbd56c144\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Machinery is deployed along the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool to counter an algae bloom on 22 June in Washington DC.<\/span> Photograph: Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Trump says DC reflecting pool repairs may not be done in time for 4 July<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>US president planned to revamp the now algae-stricken pool ahead of the holiday and America\u2019s 250th birthday<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump<\/a> has acknowledged that repairs to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/16\/algae-trump-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">algae-stricken<\/a> reflecting pool in Washington DC may not be completed in time for the Fourth of July, when the president plans to convene a big celebration on the National Mall to ring in the country\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/series\/america-at-250\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">250th birthday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The iconic body of water <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/23\/donald-trump-reflecting-pool-metaphor\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">began filling<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/20\/trump-reflecting-pool-renovation-vandalism\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">with<\/a> algae blooms and peeling paint after the Trump administration ordered a $14.2m renovation to turn it \u201cAmerican flag\u201d blue, prompting the president to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/22\/what-happened-dc-reflecting-pool-vandalism-arrest-algae\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">claim<\/a> \u2013 without providing evidence \u2013 that vandals armed with a knife had damaged it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He reiterated the allegation in a social media post on Tuesday, while indicating the repair work may not be completed in time for the country\u2019s semiquincentennial.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"64cbc01a-e57b-488a-8fff-0c3e69eab95d\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-3 | 3\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-15vltj4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/23\/donald-trump-reflecting-pool-metaphor\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">It\u2019s not easy being green: Trump\u2019s botched reflecting pool becomes 2,028ft metaphor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/22\/reflecting-pool-trump-drained\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">will drain<\/a> some of the water, either immediately before or after the Fourth of July, to do the permanent repair,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He also claimed that six people have been arrested, and seven cited, \u201cfor the damage they did to our country\u2019s now beautiful Reflecting Pool\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He blamed the vandalism on a 350ft gash \u201cmade by a very sharp knife or razors\u201d that created \u201cnumerous slashes over a very long 350 foot length\u201d. Such \u201cslashes\u201d have not been visible during visits by reporters in recent days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cIt was purposefully and criminally done, and somebody had to work very hard, probably in the dark of night, to create such a condition,\u201d Trump wrote. \u201cLikewise, the small area at the bottom of the pool was cut and powerfully lifted off the surface leaving very jagged, uneven edges,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">It\u2019s unclear how such extensive vandalism could have been carried at the reflecting pool, which is overlooked by the Lincoln Memorial and often patrolled by police.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The Washington Post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2026\/06\/22\/dead-duck-was-seen-reflecting-pool-then-two-more-were-found-nearby\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">reported<\/a> on Monday that over the weekend, a dead duck was found floating in the reflecting pool and two more carcasses were found in a pond about 250ft away at the Constitution Gardens.<\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1symy40\">\n<figure class=\"video-container loop \" data-component=\"gu-video-loop\">\n<div class=\"dcr-gmup0n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-179wty7\"><video id=\"video-1ab9774b-9513-49a9-a489-a60729c2d9b1\" data-testid=\"self-hosted-video-player\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" preload=\"none\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"\" class=\"dcr-9xh1ht\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Algae turns reflecting pool green after Trump renovation - loop\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2026\/06\/16\/Algae_turns_reflecting_pool_green_after_Trump_renovation_-_loop--1ab9774b-9513-49a9-a489-a60729c2d9b1-4.0.0000000.jpg?width=120&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=5%3A4\" loading=\"lazy\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" class=\"dcr-11wzo8p\"><\/video><\/p>\n<div class=\"controls-container dcr-13cdgkt\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"play-pause-icon dcr-19641bk\" data-link-name=\"gu-video-loop-play-1ab9774b-9513-49a9-a489-a60729c2d9b1\" data-testid=\"play-icon\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-1hnminq\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Algae turns reflecting pool green after Trump renovation &#8211; loop<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Ducks typically go back and forth between the two bodies of water, and the causes of the deaths were unknown. While the Post was unable to determine what happened to the body of the duck discovered in the reflecting pool, an animal rescue group had retrieved the two carcasses discovered in the Constitution Gardens and planned to perform necropsies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The botched renovation of the reflecting pool comes amid a push by Trump to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/ng-interactive\/2026\/jun\/20\/trump-dc-makeover-frenzy\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">spruce up<\/a> monuments across the capital city in advance of the country\u2019s 250th anniversary celebration. The White House has announced plans for a speech by Trump on the National Mall as well as a fireworks celebration, billed as the largest in history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Democrats have condemned the effort as wasteful and emblematic of an administration that is uninterested in addressing the economic concerns of Americans. They\u2019ve linked it to Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/ng-interactive\/2026\/jun\/20\/trump-dc-makeover-frenzy\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">parallel effort<\/a> to build a ballroom on the demolished East Wing of the White House, and his attempts to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/18\/trump-secret-service-white-house-ballroom\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">quietly shift<\/a> taxpayer money to a project he insisted would be paid for by private donations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/washington-dc\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Washington DC<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Trump%20says%20DC%20reflecting%20pool%20repairs%20may%20not%20be%20done%20in%20time%20for%204%20July&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/23\/trump-dc-reflecting-pool-repair-july-fourth?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjun%2F23%2Ftrump-dc-reflecting-pool-repair-july-fourth&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jun\/23\/trump-dc-reflecting-pool-repair-july-fourth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1pjhtuq\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Machinery is deployed along the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool to counter an algae bloom on 22 June in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4561\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}