{"id":2617549,"date":"2026-06-22T20:48:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T00:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-shames-pro-algae-protester-in-hunt-for-alleged-reflecting-pool-vandals\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T20:49:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T00:49:34","slug":"trump-shames-pro-algae-protester-in-hunt-for-alleged-reflecting-pool-vandals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-shames-pro-algae-protester-in-hunt-for-alleged-reflecting-pool-vandals\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump shames &#8216;pro-algae&#8217; protester in hunt for alleged Reflecting Pool vandals"},"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\">22<\/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-shames-pro-algae-protester-in-hunt-for-alleged-reflecting-pool-vandals%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=2617549&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 shared a photo on Truth Social of a protester dressed in an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/robert-de-niro-joins-democrats-to-protest-trump-at-state-of-the-swamp\/\" title=\"Robert De Niro joins Democrats to protest ... at &#039;State of the Swamp&#039;\">inflatable frog costume<\/a> labeled \u201cAmphifa,\u201d which he described as another example of a \u201ccrazy pro-algae (likely paid)\u201d protester. The protester\u2019s sign referenced the famous Niemoller quote about Germans not speaking out against Nazis, symbolizing perceived censorship or suppression of certain viewpoints. The inflatable frog activist appeared at protests in Portland and was involved in clashes in Minnesota. <\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously occurring, Trump has been involved in a controversy over the renovated Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/victims-of-debilitating-havana-syndrome-to-get-more-support-after-biden-signs-bipartisan-bill\/\" title=\"Victims Of \u2018Debilitating\u2019 Havana Syndrome To Get More Support After Biden ...s Bipartisan Bill\">showed signs<\/a> of damage shortly after its completion. Critics accuse vandals, while trump and his supporters claim the damage was due to poor workmanship by contractors, whom Trump has defended. The U.S. Park Police arrested David Hearn, a former Olympian, on charges of vandalism, though Hearn claims he only touched the liner out of curiosity and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >denies intentionally damaging<\/a> the site. the incident has sparked a debate over the handling of the pool\u2019s restoration and the apparent vandalism or deterioration that followed.  <\/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> posted a photo of a \u201cpro-algae\u201d protester as he continues cracking down on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alleged-vandals-indicted-over-attacking-pregnancy-centers-in-florida\/\" title=\"Alleged Vandals Indicted Over Attacking Pregnancy Centers In Florida\">alleged vandals<\/a> of the newly refurbished <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4618208\/trump-reflecting-pool-work-begin-immediately\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4618208\">Reflecting Pool<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial has become a culture war flash point after Trump decided to renovate it. Following its quick deterioration, the president and his allies have been on the hunt for alleged vandals, who are accused of being behind the deterioration.<\/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\/4619784\/trump-fires-warning-shot-nato-before-meeting-secretary-general\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump fires warning shot at NATO ahead of meeting with secretary general<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4618556\/trump-reflecting-pool-contractors-vandals-peeling-paint-national-mall\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump defends Reflecting Pool contractors and blames vandals for peeling paint<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4619736\/trump-denies-iran-economic-leverage-depression\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump denies that Iran holds economic leverage over US<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHere is another example of a crazy pro-algae (likely paid) protestor,\u201d Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/116796021113054934\">posted<\/a> on Truth Social, with a picture of a protester dressed in an inflatable frog costume emblazoned with the phrase \u201cAmphifa.\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\">\u201cThe sign says, \u2018First they came for the algae\u2026\u2019 which is in reference to a famous post-WW2 statement about Germans not speaking out against the Nazis: \u2018\u2026Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out \u2014 because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me \u2014 and there was no one left to speak for me,\u2019\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The quote being referenced is a famous poem from German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller, whose original work started with, \u201cFirst\u00a0they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Communist,\u201d then progressed through the Nazis\u2019 enemies and ended with him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inflatable frog costume has been embraced by some of Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-6-best-bets-for-conservative-friendly-entertainment-this-summer\/\" title=\"The 6 Best Bets for Conservative-Friendly Entertainment this Summer\">left-wing critics<\/a> after someone was seen wearing it at a protest in Portland, Oregon, in October, later showing up in clashes in Minnesota with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis and St. Paul.<\/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 multimillion-dollar renovation of the Reflecting Pool ordered by Trump showed signs of damage or deterioration just days after it was unveiled, triggering competing accusations of vandalism or a poor job by contractors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4617632\/us-park-police-arrest-olympian-vandal-reflecting-pool\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4617632\">US PARK POLICE ARREST FORMER OLYMPIAN FOR VANDALISM OF REFLECTING POOL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has defended the contractors and insisted vandals were behind the damage. When asked for evidence, he said it would be shown in court.<\/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<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday, U.S. Park <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/police\/\">Police<\/a> arrested David Hearn, 67, a cyclist and former <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/olympics\/\">Olympian<\/a>,\u00a0on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property after allegedly vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. While Trump and his supporters viewed the arrest as vindication, Hearn insisted he did no such thing, only reaching into the pool to feel a detached piece of the pool\u2019s liner to see what it felt like, according to the <em>Washington Post<\/em>. The cyclist also denied touching the hose used by government workers but acknowledged his bike might have.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump posts photo of pro-algae protester amid Reflecting Pool vandalism debate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2617550,"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\/AP26173605664974.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32319,53793,5894,4542,16384],"class_list":["post-2617549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-donald-trump","tag-environment-2","tag-politics","tag-protest","tag-vandalism"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26173605664974.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617549","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\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2617549"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2617553,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617549\/revisions\/2617553"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2617550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2617549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2617549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2617549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}