Trump’s controversial $14 million reflecting pool has taken on an unexpected new feature this week: a thick layer of bright green algae that has transformed the once-pristine water feature into what visitors are calling “a luxury swamp.”
President Donald Trump quickly dismissed suggestions that the algae bloom might be the result of poor maintenance, inadequate filtration, or the fact that the pool was reportedly painted blue to enhance its appearance.
Instead, Trump pointed the finger at what he called “radical liberal vandals.”
“This was the most beautiful reflecting pool ever built,” Trump told reporters while standing several yards away from the increasingly murky water. “Everyone said so. Then the liberals came in, probably at night, and dumped algae into it. Nobody has ever seen algae like this before.”
Within hours, federal authorities launched “Operation Green Menace,” resulting in the arrests of dozens of individuals whose only apparent crime was being near the reflecting pool.
Among those detained was an innocent cyclist who happened to ride past the White House on his morning commute. Video shows him in handcuffs though he has since been released.
White House officials defended the arrests as necessary to protect national security and the president’s landscaping projects.
Meanwhile, experts from the National Park Service reportedly suggested that routine cleaning and proper filtration might solve the algae problem. Their recommendations were immediately rejected.
As workers struggled to remove the green sludge, Trump announced plans for a new investigation.
