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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHoly shit!! There are huge chunks of blue paint coming off the reflecting pool already... It seems the peroxide loosened t
OMG!!
Holy shit!! There are huge chunks of blue paint coming off the reflecting pool already
It seems the peroxide loosened things up, yikes!!
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE.
Link to tweet
?s=20
Link to tweet
?s=20
tanyev
(49,904 posts)
wyn borkins
(1,545 posts)C Moon
(13,812 posts)He had a crush on a girl and she happened to be seated across from him (we had long lunch tables indoorsit was probably raining).
I had bought a lunch, and it was covered in plasticwhich I was struggling to open.
My friend was sipping on his milk, side glancing me and my struggle with the packaging.
Out of frustration, I grabbed the plastic and bit into it to open it.
He burst out laughing and shot a mouthful of milk into the poor girl's face.
Whenever I see that gif above, it reminds me of that lunch.
Okay. I've said enough.
wyn borkins
(1,545 posts)twodogsbarking
(19,736 posts)He was a treasure. I miss him
MineralMan
(151,953 posts)to seal your driveway. Yup.
underpants
(197,688 posts)The board members he appointed stalled so they could award it no-bid to a company Trump said he used at one of his golf courses ..then had never heard of two days later.
IrishAfricanAmerican
(4,539 posts)samnsara
(18,784 posts)Phillies3737
(11 posts)I think that every American deserves a refund. Drain the freaking swamp!
gab13by13
(33,028 posts)but when I painted my concrete garage floor I had to treat it with muriatic acid to get the paint to stick.
How many million did they pay the people who painted the pool? Are we sure it was the peroxide that loosened the paint?
BlueWaveNeverEnd
(15,384 posts)With color embedded in it.
Drain and spray on new cement mixture..
Kali
(56,969 posts)it is a cheap fix that doesn't last very long, but it does exist
allegorical oracle
(6,670 posts)in a really thick layer.
Kali
(56,969 posts)it is called aquabrite by ecofinish, but I don't think that is what they did in this case - seems to have been some shitty epoxy paint put on by grifters, hired by the grifter-in-chief
malaise
(299,332 posts)We use a mixture of HP and baking soda to lift dirt between tiles
Bayard
(30,610 posts)malaise
(299,332 posts)Thanks😀
newdeal2
(5,642 posts)He only solves issues he creates.
BlueWaveNeverEnd
(15,384 posts)newdeal2
(5,642 posts)Maybe create an art installation or something.
popsdenver
(2,762 posts)Is installing bleachers, filling the pool with dirt, and making a semi-permanent, outdoor, Tractor Pull Venue..........
Quite likely a mini stadium, with retractable roof, so he can hold the events year round, .............
Anyone else, got any ideas how he could further desecrate the areas around the White House & Capitol??????
OMGWTF
(5,272 posts)erronis
(24,865 posts)state of stupid
(238 posts)riversedge
(82,051 posts)NHvet
(317 posts)and do watercross with motorcycles in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter. Loads of fun. Bud light for all!
EndlessMaze
(106 posts)BamaRefugee
(3,904 posts)MadameButterfly
(4,262 posts)Obama tried to fix it for many millions and it failed. The conclusion was it needed to be completely re-done for 300 million. Money that was never appropriated. I fear Trump trying to do it--he'll spend even more and will botch it. Because he won't hire experts, only his cronies.
marble falls
(73,345 posts)CincyDem
(7,448 posts)Danascot
(5,330 posts)the tarps are blue.
VTderry
(149 posts)Biophilic
(6,763 posts)I'm a bit concerned for my country. Are we strong enough to survive? I'm honestly not sure. Yes, I know it's not just trump, but he's the figure head. Screw all republicans. May they never have internal peace.
tanyev
(49,904 posts)alleviating some of the pressure on the country, but its feeling very touch and go.
malaise
(299,332 posts)How to Make the Paste
Mix the ingredients: Combine 3 parts baking soda with 1 part standard 3% hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl.Add soap: Stir in a small squirt (about 1 teaspoon) of liquid dish soap to help cut through tough grease.Check the consistency:
Apply the mixture: Spread the paste directly onto your tiles and grout lines using a stiff-bristled brush or an old toothbrush.Scrub and let sit: Work the paste into the crevices using circular motions, then let it sit on the tiles for 10 to 15 minutes.Rinse thoroughly: Wipe away the paste with a damp cloth or sponge, then rinse the area well with clean water to prevent a baking soda haze.
Important TipsCaution for stone: Avoid using hydrogen peroxide on natural stone tiles (like marble) or colored grout, as it can cause etching or fading.
By the way a firm broom is just as good as the toothbrush/scrubbing brush😀
Im not getting that low.
Ocelot II
(131,715 posts)calimary
(91,315 posts)Except for the algae.
And the algae will eventually win.
allegorical oracle
(6,670 posts)the first rainstorm? He sure is a high-maintenance POTUS.
UpInArms
(55,594 posts)Another excellent example of incompetent grifting
Attilatheblond
(9,437 posts)and did they sign off on his club invoices in exchange for this 'big government contract' ?
Doodley
(12,129 posts)The Madcap
(2,133 posts)At least it would reflect...
Pilots would hate it, though. They'd go blind when flying over DC.
What a travesty.
Deuxcents
(28,114 posts)A good and honest contractor would not have permitted a fleet of vehicles to parade around the pool because it was never constructed to be roadworthy. Definitely educate the consumer about the paint and colors that is needed for the desired effect. The detention pond where they stored the water is where the additives and cleaning could have been done during the time the project was in repair. For 14 million taxpayer dollars, the company should be responsible and now, accountable. If the complaint that the consumer (TSF) did not take advice or demanded it done his way, the company should have bowed out of the project.
tanyev
(49,904 posts)Trump thinks good and honest people are low IQ losers.
Solly Mack
(97,403 posts)niyad
(135,147 posts)Solly Mack
(97,403 posts)lol
niyad
(135,147 posts)Phillies3737
(11 posts)...I'm hip!
niyad
(135,147 posts)Torchlight
(7,188 posts)as a genius solution only he could think of to this new example of buffoonish, self-inflicted friendly-fire.
hlthe2b
(115,109 posts)National monument is so degraded and nearly destroyed. When I saw "the Beast" and all those attendant monster SUVs driving over it a few months ago, it was such a kick in the face. I do not know why there was not more outrage at that desecration. They could have at least driven near it and someone carted Trump's fat ass out there in a golf cart if necessary, but to drive over it? I'm still livid.
FakeNoose
(42,889 posts)Someone might have snuck in at night and thrown crumpled up sheets of blue plastic in there.
The National Mall workers would need to drain the pool again and determine whether the paint is actually detaching from the pool bottom. And why would it detach in sheets, if that is what's happening? Why isn't the paint just dissolving into small suspended particles and turning the water blue?
I'm not a paint professional, but neither were the people who did this half-assed job. Who told them to throw peroxide into the pool, and why did they think that would kill the algae?
We have questions....
Cirsium
(4,207 posts)Paint often loses adherence to the substrate and comes off in sheets. Improper preparation is the cause, and it has to be very badly done for that to happen. Fly-by-night used car dealers come to mind.
Texas_Blue_Dem
(7 posts)I'm betting it was the Secret Service that required the vehicles to be driven out onto the reflecting pool during the rehab work. Letting a president walk that far out in the open would be a serious breach of security.
hlthe2b
(115,109 posts)at golf courses, his more infrequent, though still held rallies (Agricultural Agenda speech in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin)
Not only was it (the driving of a monstrosity of vehicles across the reflecting pool) an unannounced "pop-up" visit, but Trump did drop his window and interacted in the open with exposure and delivered an outdoor statement/field reporter questions.
If the open-air environment of the Mall was too inherently dangerous to set foot on, the Secret Service would never have permitted him to roll down his armored window to speak to an unvetted press pool in a wide-open basin.
The choice to drive the heavy SUV contingent directly across the nearly century-old basin was not forced by a sudden security threat. Trump specifically did it to conduct a close-up vehicle tour to inspect the new "American flag blue" industrial coating he ordered. Foot Traffic Was Feasible: Construction crews and park staff were actively walking the basin floor during the visit. A brief step-out onto the pavement would have fallen well within standard Secret Service protective capabilities, especially given the lack of an assembled public crowd.
So, I call bullshit on that argument/defense of Trump's devastating lack of respect for ANYTHING or ANYONE.
wnylib
(26,756 posts)Will he claim that it was intentional?
"Such a beautiful pool. Nobody has ever seen such a beautiful one like it."
ProfessorGAC
(77,606 posts)...rhey used the wrong kind of paint and/or primer.
Super diluted peroxide shouldn't remove paint unless they was something wrong in the first place.
Given this is the gang that can't do anything right, I'm going with execution error.
underpants
(197,688 posts)The board members he appointed stalled so they could award it no-bid to a company Trump used at one of his golf courses
..then had never heard of two days later.
The company is legit. They do work for Va. Dept of Transportation.
https://vaspray.com/aic/sites/index/#about
New Canton Va is a town so small youd have to know where it is to say youve driven through it.
keep_left
(3,241 posts)
paint was used, and having used some of those coatings myself on the job, I can attest that there are quite stringent requirements for the prep and priming work. Ill bet that for below-the-waterline applications, its even more the case.
As others have mentioned here already, this is looking like yet another Trump hack job.
FakeNoose
(42,889 posts)How do we even know it's paint that's floating in pool? It could be anything ... They need to investigate this.
keep_left
(3,241 posts)
for shitty no-bid contracts and shoddy work, it seems likely that this is just a continuation of an ongoing disaster. The Trump regime is simply incapable of doing the job right the first time (or at any time).
The 2-part coatings that can last for decades require stringent protocols for prep work. The most likely explanation is that proper prep work and curing time specified by the manufacturer were not obeyed, the coating did not cure or adhere properly, and its now coming off in pieces.
HighFired49
(536 posts)The Idiot in Chief wanted to paint the Eisenhower Building white but, from the article: "WATCH: Trump's plan to paint Eisenhower building white could cost at least $7.5M, White House says" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-trumps-push-to-paint-eisenhower-building-white-reviewed-by-capitol-planning-commission
"But the proposal has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and deteriorate the stone."
ProfessorGAC
(77,606 posts)I think it would also be impossible to completely dry the surface of granite, so the coating would trap moisture underneath it.
On hotter days than the day it was coated, the vapor/liquid equilibrium would shift toward more vapor, hence more pressure.
The coating would spall if that happened.
Yes, it makes sense that granite shouldn't be painted.
I was not aware the reflecting pool was not concrete.
purr-rat beauty
(1,607 posts)I've dealt with a few contractors who did shoddy work for a good dollar. Has eroded my trust of contractors.
There best be a review or investigation into the funding of this clusterfuck. I'm sure a couple million were skimmed off the top.
And maybe they should dunk trump in it all the way up to the greasy dustbunny on top of his head.
Whip-poor-will
(594 posts)Good ain't cheap, cheap ain't good ,never has been never will be.
GoCubsGo
(35,065 posts)And, we all know goddamn well that the motherfucker was lining his pockets with part of those millions that just got wasted.
RedWhiteBlueIsRacist
(2,404 posts)Remove him.
dave99
(430 posts)they put that34 felony shitstain there.
makes one wonder where the other 160,000,000+ were ?
IrishAfricanAmerican
(4,539 posts)Lovie777
(24,299 posts)advising them?
Wounded Bear
(64,800 posts)FalloutShelter
(14,721 posts)Last edited Thu Jun 18, 2026, 04:22 PM - Edit history (1)
and while I did not work on pools or fountains, I did work on objects meant to hold water, as well as objects d'art.
I knew immediately that anyone with any experience at all with sealing and painting concrete would have turned this job down as too risky, and downright impossible.
The tiniest water molecule in the concrete trapped beneath the paint would be enough to begin corrupting the paint bond... now imagine the concrete is over 100years old. It is a sponge. Add HP and stir, and the recipe for disaster is complete.
Scruffy1
(3,558 posts)They sank a whole lot of pilings to support the slab. You are right about noy touchjing this job with a ten foot pole, Poor soil,high water table and a rush job. Concrete always has cracks in it and they will convey water.
Ponietz
(4,570 posts)Probably because Bloaty wants to build there. Destroy it and devalue it first, then proceed with development plans..
sop
(19,763 posts)
Lars39
(26,575 posts)progressoid
(53,504 posts)That would only weigh maybe 10000 lbs,
Blumancru
(371 posts)Yes, and thats not counting his limousine.
Welcome to DU, Blumancru!
chowder66
(12,665 posts)I see the American Flag blue paint is even trying to escape this algae infestation. The paint is actually lifting off of the bottomâ¦ð
— ð¥FireInspð¥ðºð¸ðºð¦ð® (@fireinsp.bsky.social) 2026-06-18T16:20:00.167Z
In other Trump failure news, the million ârepairâ of the reflection pool gets more disastrous with each passing day.
— Kikki Planet (@kikkiplanet.bsky.social) 2026-06-18T14:08:40.416Z
On top of the algae issues, Trumpâs âAmerican flag blueâ paint is now peeling away from the pool in large chunks, & floating to the surface.
Maru Kitteh
(32,087 posts)Devilsun
(396 posts)The kings marvelous work 🤣🤣🤣
JoseBalow
(9,871 posts)That was the whole point. He doesn't care about anything else.
c-rational
(3,233 posts)(especially if it was done by Obama) and then make it much worse after spending more thatn it shoudl have cost, and then just say it's grest.
w.r.t. the lack of reflection in general, plus orangeman's requirement that the world falsely mirror back to him "the greatest --- ever."
ToxMarz
(3,154 posts)ChicagoTeamster
(1,445 posts)PhilG
(69 posts)I think we should all start writing our Representatives and Senators to DEMAND a bill that FORCES the Orange Menace to write a check from a personal account (no donor bullshit) to pay for the repairs & restoration of the pool to it original state. No ifs, ands or butts. And see to it that a competent professional company, selected by Congress is hired for the project. No Trump lackeys.
A no blaming Joe Biden either !
Note:
When he refuses, stop his paycheck to cover the costs
MustLoveBeagles
(18,171 posts)You bought it.
kentuck
(115,956 posts)Peels off with the first car wash.
progressoid
(53,504 posts)Lets talk about Hunter Biden or trans people
struggle4progress
(127,061 posts)Dave Id
(368 posts)a Republican wasting money unnecessarily while the needy go hungry.
dave99
(430 posts)Botany
(78,160 posts)Now close it down, drain it, remove all of that blue paint, expose the original (granite?) stone,
and open up some areas that the original designers and builders had that let some of the
water seep out underneath the pool and go down and join up with the ground water which
is not too far down and @ the same level as the tidal basin/Potomac river.
The reflecting pool was working just fine as it was before Trump fucked it up.
Ocelot II
(131,715 posts)Many repairs and improvements have been done ever since the thing was first completed in 1923. It was completely rebuilt between 2009 and 2012, and following a serious algae bloom shortly after it reopened, an ozone disinfectant system was installed. Additional work was done in 2016. Of course, all of this work occurred during the Obama administration, which no doubt motivated Trump to claim Obama had neglected it so of course he had to "improve" it. In fact, it didn't need to be repainted. It did need more work on the water supply and filtration system, which Trump did not address. No matter what anyone does with it, it will always be afflicted by periodic outbreaks of algae because the water is warm and still and regularly fertilized by duck and goose poo. Trump's repainting project, like so much of what Trump does, was superficial, done only for appearances. He wanted it to be blue, just like a swimming pool, instead of reflecting the actual sky. But also, typical Trump, he made the algae situation even worse with the dark blue paint, which made the water warmer and more algae-friendly.

Botany
(78,160 posts)his Florida based pool company that got the 14 million dollar no bid contract to do Donnys
paint it blue shit sealed it all up so the water no longer went under the pool and down a couple
of feet into the ground water as it was designed to do. So you got warmer water that was low
in O2 and algal blooms.
Maybe Congress could change the flag to the red, white and green. Green could stand for money - what could be more American. But no; that would please the environmental types plus thats the colors of the Iranian flag! They might get RFK Jr to promote the algae as a super health remedy; after all, he and the Donald are experts on pond scum. The Trump kids could bottle it and sell it to the MAGA dupes for 250 Trump coins each. Mo money, mo' money!
Response to riversedge (Original post)
Ghost of Tom Joad This message was self-deleted by its author.
Ghost of Tom Joad
(1,456 posts)has made my day. Thank you.
dave99
(430 posts)aggiesal
(10,985 posts)I have no idea what to call our 250th Birthday celebration.
This was supposed to be beautiful for the 4th of July.
I guess this is what happens when we have Mierda47, who thinks he knows everything & goes outside government regulations and experts.
Everything Mierda47 touches, turns to $h1t.
Totally Tunsie
(12,215 posts)standing at the edge and staring bleakly into the Pool with a "holy s**t" look on his face, fully realizing that he totally f****d up yet again. It's almost a metaphor for the GOP reception of his Iran deal after thinking he had done so well. He ain't the stable genius he thinks he is.
Diamond_Dog
(41,429 posts)set up a bunch of cheap umbrella tables, and call it The Reflecting Pool Club.
Just Jerome
(599 posts)they didnt consult Pam Bondi about the effects of peroxide on color.
maxrandb
(17,539 posts)ROFL
Nasruddin
(1,310 posts)This is an allegory of this hopeless regime (as if we needed one).
Can we survive another 2 years of these morons? They have to go.
yellow dahlia
(6,824 posts)rubbersole
(11,328 posts)Rocky Mountain Mike has a parody song with this title played on the Stephanie Miller Show this morning. Hilarious. I couldn't find it on his YouTube page. Probably not posted yet.
3catwoman3
(30,070 posts)I haven't heard it yet, but I'm sure it deliciously wicked. Rocky Mountain Mike is very good at what he does.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(24,769 posts)Isn't there some nice blue algae they could dump in there? Much more pleasant-looking than that green stuff.

Except that the blue algae can harm any dogs that choose to take a swim.
SamuelAdams
(321 posts)Polly Hennessey
(9,042 posts)This is the guy who is leading the most powerful country on Earth? By the time he is finished with us no one will be able to find us on a map. And still you tell me seventy-seven million people voted for him. This will be one for the history books. You can find it in the Chapter on What were they thinking.
MustLoveBeagles
(18,171 posts)None of this 💩 would've happened.
Norrrm
(5,987 posts)President Donald J. Trump is an expert builder who has fixed the Reflecting Pool for good unlike the failed and extremely costly attempt by Obama and Biden, she added.
"for good"
https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/10/politics/algae-reflecting-pool-trump
Wouldn't an 'expert builder' know to clean out stagnant pipes before use?
Wouldn't an 'expert builder' know not to use a color that encourages algae growth?
Trump blames Obana who was before Trump, not after.

Blumancru
(371 posts)Norrrm
(5,987 posts)electric_blue68
(27,806 posts)Marie Marie
(11,630 posts)Obama or Biden? And 2nd question, what nasty insult will he call the reporter who questions him about this latest failure of Mr I Alone Can Fix it
Jim__
(15,308 posts)LPBBEAR
(692 posts)that this was going to happen a few days back. I typed up the post and forgot to finalize it.
Basically what I said was that the combination of dark paint and hot Sun was going to raise temps of the water which would lead to adhesion failure of the paint and that we would see flecks of toxic paint floating around in the pool along with the green algae.
The only thing left that would complete the picture of green algae, murky water, and floating paint flecks would be if someone pushed an old wrecked car into the pool.
I think we used to fish there when I was a kid in Montana.
Raftergirl
(1,893 posts)Grammy23
(6,138 posts)We have all had a good time finding new ways to joke and ridicule the Orange Menace.
However, the practical side of me finds this whole debacle to be representative of tRumps administration, It has been, thus far, costly, unfairly selected contractors, sloppily done and almost 100% ineffective at fixing a single thing. It really makes me angry and sad to think of better ways that money could have been used to improve the lives of everyday Americans. We the taxpayers and citizens of this land deserve so much better.
I think our attempts at humor at all of this are a way to try to preserve our sanity and muddle through this horror show of mismanagement, grift and despair that we are enduring until the people doing this to us can be removed. Hasten the day that happens, please!
purr-rat beauty
(1,607 posts)No more Vanity projects for Butter Chunks
It's looking painfully like purposeful Fraud Waste and Abuse with spite sprinkled all over it. Can we please just have a mature adult lead us??
And Mother Nature.....if you're listening
Roy Rolling
(7,743 posts)Painting over a problem is never the solution, unless youre a complete moron.
But worse, somebody took $13 million for this unprofessional work.
Sadly, I paid for this jackleg contractor friend of the occupant with my tax dollars.
Karasu
(2,278 posts)tells you everything.
There isn't a basic understanding of how anything fucking works among these fascist idiots.
canetoad
(21,180 posts)Is a perfect metaphor for the trump presidencies.
dalton99a
(96,102 posts)madinmaryland
(65,808 posts)mcar
(46,516 posts)Monsieur_Grumpe
(190 posts)to repair and repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
LetMyPeopleVote
(183,600 posts)cab67
(3,893 posts)I think this is incredibly sad. An incompetent cheapskate has defaced something that belongs to all of us.
It'll be corrected, but not in the near term.
Raine
(31,258 posts)doc03
(39,232 posts)Evolve Dammit
(21,845 posts)Wednesdays
(23,400 posts)If you think it's bad now, by the end of the summer it'll be a total sludge swamp.
The few gallons of peroxide they're dumping in now will do little to stem that fiasco.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(138,573 posts)Beartracks
(14,717 posts)Initech
(109,543 posts)IronLionZion
(51,673 posts)The reflecting pool is a reflection of MAGA
cab67
(3,893 posts)Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen fairly quickly when exposed to ultraviolet light. This is why it's always sold in opaque bottles.
SpankMe
(3,797 posts)CozyMystery
(770 posts)money that has been wasted and frivolously spent -- $300 billion plus. Every one of their assets should revert to the people of the US.
Then they ought to be seriously investigated (after repayment) for all the crimes they have committed since Trump took office.
Then they should all rot in a federal prison. True, it would be super bad for their mental health if they were in a SuperMax, and it could shorten their lives if they were in a regular old high security prison with run of the mill really bad criminals, but I don't care.
Besides the major players, the minor ones should go down, too. They can all be examples of the bad things that can happen to anyone who aids in demolishing the democracy in which we live.
COL Mustard
(8,476 posts)In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ..
Xipe Totec
(44,597 posts)
Old Crank
(7,414 posts)There is a distinct possiblity that the concrete tehy painted over wasn't compleatly dry. And more ground water came up through it lifting their fancy paint off.
Historic NY
(40,183 posts)holy shit.
Danascot
(5,330 posts)continues to be a metaphor for the entire administration.
