{"id":2616711,"date":"2026-06-20T13:44:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-blames-abc-reporter-and-vandals-for-peeling-reflecting-pool-and-algae-growth\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T13:45:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:45:48","slug":"trump-blames-abc-reporter-and-vandals-for-peeling-reflecting-pool-and-algae-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-blames-abc-reporter-and-vandals-for-peeling-reflecting-pool-and-algae-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump blames ABC reporter and vandals for peeling Reflecting Pool and algae growth"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-blames-abc-reporter-and-vandals-for-peeling-reflecting-pool-and-algae-growth%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2616711&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>President Donald Trump criticized ABC journalist Jonathan karl and vandals for causing damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which recently underwent a $15 million renovation during his management. The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >pool turned bright green<\/a> due to an algae bloom after the installation of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-live-crews-turn-pump-on-to-refill-reflecting-pool-after-renovations\/\" title=\"WATCH LIVE: Crews turn pump on to refill ... after ...s\">blue coating<\/a> at its bottom. Efforts by the National Park Service to eliminate the algae using hydrogen peroxide led to peeling of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/__trashed-471\/\" title=\"Allegation: Masks are being forcibly taped to the faces of students in Colorado Springs\">blue paint<\/a>. Trump attributed the vandalism to both external trespassers and Karl, who allegedly damaged the pool while demonstrating its condition on camera. He also mentioned that the algae is mostly gone and the damage will be repaired soon. The article notes that the contractor responsible for installing the nanobubbler cleaner in the pool was owned by a Trump supporter with a history of legal issues, and it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dramatic-footage-spanish-police-block-illegal-immigrants-by-severing-their-boat-in-half\/\" title=\"Dramatic Footage: Spanish Police Block Illegal Immigrants by Severing Their Boat in Half\">highlights ongoing tensions surrounding<\/a> the pool\u2019s condition and maintenance.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> blamed ABC reporter Jonathan Karl and vandals for the Lincoln <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/memorials\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1129\">Memorial<\/a> Reflecting Pool\u2019s peeling seal and algae growth after the Trump administration\u2019s $15 million renovation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pool turned bright green from an algae bloom following the installation of \u201cAmerican flag blue\u201d coating at the bottom of the pool. In an effort to combat the algae growth, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-park-service\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"190\">National Park Service<\/a> workers <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4613921\/interior-department-algae-reflecting-pool-comparing-destroyed-iranian-navy\/\">dumped bottles of hydrogen peroxide<\/a> into the water. Shortly after, the coating at the bottom of the pool <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4614945\/lincoln-reflecting-pool-blue-paint-peeling-algae\/\">began to peel.<\/a><\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4617468\/kennedy-center-no-new-show-judge-block-shutdown\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Kennedy Center says it will not host new shows after judge blocks two-year shutdown<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4617090\/trump-new-air-force-one-dc-flyover-july-4\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump reveals new Air Force One will fly over DC on July 4<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4616661\/trump-can-keep-israel-attack-hezbollah\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says he can keep Israel from attacking Hezbollah: \u2018They do as I say\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial,\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social. \u201cJust like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The president then mentioned a specific reporter he had in mind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLightweight ABC Reporter, Jonathan Karl, was seen sticking his hand into the Pool, and trying to rip the rubber off of the surface,\u201d Trump continued. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/116779982596770084\/embed\" class=\"truthsocial-embed\" style=\"max-width: 100%; border: 0\" width=\"600\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><script src=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/embed.js\" async=\"async\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The president may be referring to a video report Karl recorded for<em> <\/em>ABC News, where the journalist <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ABC\/status\/2067714311275885003\">grabbed<\/a> the peeling coating and moved it back and forth to demonstrate the pool\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company that won the $1.7 million contract to install a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/interiorpress47\/status\/2067436655523369239\">\u201cnanobubbler\u201d<\/a> cleaner into the pool during the renovation is owned by Trump donor John Cafaro, with one of his donations reaching $250,000 to the Trump Victory fundraising committee in 2020, a CBS News report found. Cafaro pled guilty to conspiring to bribe Rep. James Traficant (D-OH) in 2002, and pled guilty again a decade later to campaign finance violations in 2010 related to his daughter\u2019s congressional campaign. The businessman also lives less than a mile from Trump\u2019s residence at Mar-a-Lago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:calc(696 \/ 464)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<figure><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Worker cleans algae from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on June 18, 2026. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<figure><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A worker scrubs algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, June 19, 2026. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<figure><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Blue paint peeling from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on June 18, 2026. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<figure><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Workers scoop algae from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on June 18, 2026. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<figure><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A worker scrubs algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday, June 19, 2026, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings, Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\">\n<figure><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Blue paint peeling from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on June 18, 2026. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4614945\/lincoln-reflecting-pool-blue-paint-peeling-algae\/\">\u2018AMERICAN FLAG BLUE\u2019 COATING APPARENTLY PEELING OFF IN LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Interior Department told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the hydrogen peroxide dumped into the pool was being used to treat the algae bloom along with the \u201cnanobubble technology.\u201d The department did not comment on the peeling seal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump blames ABC&#8217;s Karl, vandals for Lincoln Pool damage after $15M upgrade<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3892,"featured_media":2616712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/trump-reflecting-pool-collage-e1781973595191.jpg?1781959186&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[36827,78950,3634],"class_list":["post-2616711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-abc-reporter","tag-reflecting-pool","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/trump-reflecting-pool-collage-e1781973595191.jpg?1781959186&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3892"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2616711"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2616719,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616711\/revisions\/2616719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2616712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2616711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2616711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2616711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}