Topline
President Donald Trump on Monday night threatened ABC News over its coverage of the peeling paint and algae bloom at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, accusing the network of spreading “FAKE NEWS†while doubling down on unsubstantiated claims of vandalism being the cause of the damage to the pool.
A piece of the blue coating floats among algae at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Sunday.
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Key Facts
In a post on Truth Social, Trump attacked the network for not reporting on the state of the pool under the Obama and Biden administration and their failed repair attempts.
The president wrote that his administration was “preparing lawsuits against ABC for false reporting,†without specifying what specific part of the reporting was at issue.
Trump touted his 2024 $16 million settlement in a defamation suit he filed against ABC News and said, “I like their money, which will be given to the U.S. Treasury!â€
Reiterating his earlier jibes about the state of the pool being like a sewer under earlier administrations, Trump claimed it was rarely open in the past due to “leaks and ‘stench.'â€
Trump claimed that former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama wanted to “spend 300 to 400 Million Dollars†on fixing the pool, and he spent “approximately 16 Million Dollars, and it came out great, except for the Vandalism.â€
The president said the damage is now being fixed and suggested that the renovation work was a “much bigger job than originally envisioned, including the outer areas and sidewalks.â€
What Do We Know About ABC News' reporting on the Reflecting Pool?
Last week, ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl reported that the reflecting pool was looking “dirty and green†and its “brand new coat of blue paint already peeling off the bottom.†Karl noted that the administration had spent $14 million to paint the bottom of this reflecting pool in a color that Trump has described as â€American flag blue,†before grabbing a blue flap floating on top of the pool to highlight the peeling. ABC News also posted another clip of Karl grabbing onto a chunk of the peeled paint on its YouTube channel.
Key Background
Late last week, visitors to the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial noticed dark blue flaps of paint peeling off from the bottom of the Reflecting Pool and floating on the surface. The peeled paint was spotted a few days after the pool turned green as a result of an algae bloom, an issue that has persisted at the pool and something Trump has mocked previous administrations for failing to tackle. In a statement shared with Forbes, the Interior Department also blamed the recurrence of the algae on the Biden and Obama administrations—echoing the president, but did not say why the renovation failed to address it. In a bid to get rid of the algae, National Park workers were seen pouring containers of 12% hydrogen peroxide into the pool. It's unclear whether the chemical caused the pool floor to peel. Aerial shots of the pool shown in the ABC News segment highlighted the extent of the algae bloom, with edges of the pool appearing dark blue while the center looked green.
What Do We Know About The Cost Of Repairs To The Pool?
Public records show that the Trump administration has paid $14.7 million to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based company that won a no-bid contract to carry out the renovation and repairs. Another company, Green Water Solutions of Ohio, has been paid $1.7 million to install a water-purification system inside the pool. The New York Times reported last week that Green Water Solutions is owned by a trust led by John J. Cafaro, a Trump donor and Mar-a-Lago neighbor who was involved in a 2001 bribery scandal.
further reading
Trump Says Reflecting Pool Repairs Will Begin ‘Immediately' (Forbes)
Blue Paint Seen Peeling Off From Bottom Of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool (Photos) (Forbes)
