Donald Trump's $20 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC has already turned green due to algae, just weeks after it was painted blue. The president had been vocal about the refurbishment of the iconic landmark, which included fixing leaks in the granite foundation and applying a bright blue coating ahead of the US's 250th anniversary.
However, the project, completed earlier this month, now faces a glaring issue: the water has turned bright green. Over the weekend, the National Park Service worked to clear lumps of algae from the still water. The renovation included an 'advanced nanobubbler technology' designed to produce small gas bubbles to control algae. It remains unclear whether the nanobubbler is malfunctioning or if the algae bloom is due to high temperatures in the capital.
'The algae is dead and being vacuumed up as we speak,' the government stated, adding, 'We thank President Trump for fixing the Reflecting Pool for good.' Photos from this week show the pools as a dark green, with ducks swimming past.
The reflecting pool renovation is just one part of Trump's broader overhaul to celebrate America's 250th birthday in July. In a characteristic move, an Ultimate Fighting Championship event was held on the White House lawn this weekend. Trump also aims to mint $1 coins bearing his likeness, which would violate an 1866 law prohibiting living persons from appearing on US currency.
Other projects include a new 'Independence Arch,' already dubbed the 'Arc de Trump,' a 250-foot arch inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, with one foot for each year of American existence. There are also plans to transform the historic National Mall into a race track, passing the Supreme Court and the Lincoln Memorial.
