Trump’s $14M reflecting pool paint job is now peeling off and floating to the surface

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trumps-14m-reflecting-pool-paint-job-is-now-peeling-off-and-floating-to-the-surface_n_6a34496de4b057a50ced3765

Donald Trump positioned himself as a swimming pool expert as he touted the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovations he ordered this year, having put in “more than 100” over his career.

But after spending $14 million in taxpayer funds, the Reflecting Pool now looks arguably worse than it did before.

Aside from the bright green hue of the water — the product of what is reportedly one of the largest algae blooms in recent years — the “industrial-grade swimming pool topping” that Trump chose is already peeling off in sheets.

602 points · 90 comments · view on lemmy.world

90 Comments

Typhoon@lemmy.ca · 139 pts · 73d (11 replies)

the Reflecting Pool now looks arguably worse than it did before.

Arguably? What a weasel word. It looks worse than it did before. There's no sane person who could argue that a massive algae bloom and paint peeling off the bottom don't make it look worse.

The Reflecting Pool now looks much much worse than it did before.

svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 27 pts · 73d (10 replies)

There is beauty to be found in an algal bloom, just as there is beauty to be found in hyenas eating an antelope alive. /hj

Calfpupa@lemmy.ml · 14 pts · 73d (2 replies)

Natures healing :')

Erusset@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 73d

It looks natural

SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 73d

The universe finding it's ballance.

Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 72d (1 reply)

/hj = handjob tag?

svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 72d

Half joking.

LePoisson@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 72d (3 replies)

dafuq does /hj mean?

svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 72d (2 replies)

Half joking.

LePoisson@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 72d (1 reply)

I think I like the other person's suggestion that it's a tag for "hand job"

Not that it matters at all because we're just randos on lemmy but isn't this just the same thing as a /s tag? /hj

svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 72d

I think it's half joking rather than completely sarcastic because I genuinely do think that you could look at a pond full of algal bloom and find beauty in it, but at the same time I would definitely agree that it's not what you want in a "reflecting pool".

cybervseas@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 73d

We need to get some daphnia and moina in there with all that green water, so we can have a never-ending supply of fish food. Just net out some of the critters any time you need to harvest some.

drmoose@lemmy.world · 62 pts · 72d (5 replies)

US not being able to tame a knee-deep pool is peak empire collapse indicator.

madcaesar@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 72d

🤣 This is actually really funny... The orange shitbag bragged about all his amazing pools, that's when I knew there is zero chance he knows jack shit about pools

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 72d (1 reply)

The country that developed atomic energy and manned spaceflight.

j5906@feddit.org · 11 pts · 72d

The country that had the first nuclear reactor connected to the grid was the USSR with Obninsk. The scientist first discovering nuclear fission were the chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann and physicists Lise Meitner and Otto Robert Frisch (all german and austrian).

The first manned spaceflight was Vostok 1 with Yuri Gagarin (USSR).

FatVegan@leminal.space · 4 pts · 72d (1 reply)

Yeah wrll, maybe it's just Obama's fault and we can all move on

athatet@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 72d

They literally tore out the filters that Obama had installed that would have helped to prevent this.

W3dd1e@lemmy.zip · 50 pts · 72d

This is my favorite Trump scandal.

It sucks we’re blowing through cash because we have an idiot for president, but I feel okay laughing at it because it doesn’t involve bombing a school in Iran, destroying immigrant families, tanking the economy, child sexual abuse, taking rights away from minorities, or stealing elections…to name a few.

Thank god he also wrecked a pond.

Typhoon@lemmy.ca · 50 pts · 73d (5 replies)

Keep some of the paint that peels off. It'll be a good reminder of the stupidity of Trump and the American people for electing him. It's part of your history.

MrVilliam@sh.itjust.works · 52 pts · 73d

And assuming you're a tax payer, you fucking paid for it so it's yours.

GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 73d

The next President should frame a piece and make it Trump’s official White House portrait.

Erusset@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 73d (1 reply)

I'm surprised he didn't make it gold leaf or fake gold leaf.

fascicle@leminal.space · 6 pts · 72d

Then he'll have less money to pocket for himself, the goal is to spend as little actually doing the work but pay over as much so he can get a cut

melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 72d

Sell pieces of those defective paint sheets just like trump sold little pieces of his suit. This would be a big sale deal for most just thinking individuals. Having a piece of history like that would be incredible! (Shhh...don't tell trump though).

bridgeburner@lemmy.world · 44 pts · 72d (1 reply)

This story gets more hilarious by the day lol

benjirenji@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 72d

Perfect microcosm of this administration.

Astronut@lemmy.zip · 35 pts · 73d

Money well vandalized! Lord Feltersnatch and his buddies made buck!

ceenote@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 73d (1 reply)

How could Obama do this?

Ceruleum@lemmy.wtf · 5 pts · 72d

With his tan suit and Dijon mustard!

D_C@sh.itjust.works · 29 pts · 72d (1 reply)

Ok, ok, ok, people are giving the obese orange child rapist shit for this BUT let's think of it a bit differently...
Aren't we all now, in a way, 'reflecting' about how shitty the job was? And the obvious corruption of handing out all that cash to mate who is a pool guy? And about how it is 'reflective' of the "Draining of the Swamp" the mushy brained syphilis filled realty TV 'star' would get his horde of idiots to chant?

If we look at it this way then that pool is doing a lottttt of reflecting!!!

teyrnon@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 72d

Taxpayers are getting hosed by any measure. They can't water down this fuckup.

teyrnon@sh.itjust.works · 25 pts · 72d

A no bid contract I would add.

If you put down new paint, you need to clean and dry the surface. Any real contractor would know that.

One is cdertain the contractor paid kickbacks to the administration for that contract, and that everyone is paying kickbacks for everything at this point. We have organized crime ruling the country.

FuglyDuck@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 73d (4 replies)

This is probably for the best. Just scrape it up and let it be.

It acted like a natural pond. Water slowly filtered out through the granite and was replaced, filtering it, keeping it clean, but also letting it be still.

Which. Only still water reflects.

If you add a pool filter and circulation system (and that would be a massive, useless expense,) it won’t reflect like it was designed to do.

This is what happens when you vote for geriatric imbeciles more concerned with grifting a nation and fucking kids than working for Americans as president.

Perky@fedia.io · 33 pts · 73d (3 replies)

I heard a theory that Trump literally just doesn't know what a reflecting pool is. He thinks all pools are swimming pools, so he's turning it into a swimming pool. I have no proof for this but like... it fits.

CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 72d

Well, he did bleat out that stupid AI image of him, some of his staff, and some woman, swimming in it as if it was a pool.

SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 73d

Trump literally just doesn’t know what a reflecting pool is.

He KNOWS it's taller than a skyscraper if you stand it on end.

FuglyDuck@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 72d

I mean... I'm pretty sure Trump was always a dumb fucker, but these day's he's probably so heavily dosed with shit he's got a longer drug test report than Musk and Kash combined.

Starik@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 72d (2 replies)

Probably due to all the caustic chemicals they dumped in it to kill the algae.

Warl0k3@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 72d (1 reply)

Not unbelievable that these morons didn't select a chemically resistant coating, but it's more likely this is due to bad surface prep than the hydrogen peroxide - if it was the result of the peroxide we'd be seeing far more damage than the few chunks spotted thus far. Though, time will tell on that front...

FatVegan@leminal.space · 9 pts · 72d

The fact that it comes off in sheets is a really good indicator that it never really stuck to yhe surface. Can't wait until it all comes off and he takes credit because it looks better now.

desmosthenes@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 73d

what a metaphor

Iusedtobeanalien@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 72d (1 reply)

Like his military parade

Like his concerts

Like his marriages

Like his administration

Half-arsed shit

madcaesar@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 72d

Other than stealing tax dollars, grifting his base and destroying institutions, he's absolutely shit at everything else in life.

Pure anti-Christ shit

nialv7@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 73d

You can't make this shit up

xonigo@lemmy.zip · 17 pts · 72d (1 reply)

Drain the water and replace it with Blue Gatorade. I've seen a documentary in which this kills the plants..

teyrnon@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 72d

No it doesn't, the plants need electrolytes.

PrimeErective@startrek.website · 16 pts · 73d

Look at those protestors flying the Algae-BT flag. I bet they're behind all of this!

AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 72d (2 replies)

Dang, guess they'll need another $14 mil paint job done lol

TrippingBalls@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 72d (1 reply)

$25 mil.. Because he was initially trying to save tax payer money... And it's seriously an emergency now before the 4th of July... And everyone laughs at his stupidity

Whats the worst thing of the last month.. The reflecting pool or the Iran peace deal?

CADmonkey@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 72d

Probably the reflecting pool, because it exists.

CharcoalRushmoore@reddthat.com · 15 pts · 73d (1 reply)

Step 1. Create a swamp Step 2. Drain the swamp

pelespirit@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 73d

Step 3. Create a war Step 4. Lose the war

Step 5. Complain that everyone is still yelling to release the fucking Epstein files.

Rcklsabndn@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 72d

The rational solution here is to drain off the nasty green water, replace it with peroxide, then mount a toilet puck every five feet around the rim.

The water will be nice and blue like the water features at his favorite mini golf course, and it'll smell just like his office.

Windex007@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 73d (4 replies)

Guys.

Guys.

... It can't last FOREVER.

vivalapivo@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 72d (3 replies)

History proves it can

Reality will soon prove the same

Windex007@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 72d (2 replies)

I'm just talking about the paint

Railcar8095@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 72d

The blue or the orange?

vivalapivo@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 72d

Sure buddy, explain it to your FBI operative

mctoasterson@reddthat.com · 12 pts · 73d (9 replies)

Anyone who has ever painted a boat, fountain, or pool, will tell you it is an uncle fucker to get durable results, even if you use those special marine paints.

Dunno why they'd spend this much to apply a coating guaranteed to degrade and look like shit almost immediately.

Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 72d (3 replies)

Dunno why they’d spend this much

ITS TO STEAL MONEY THAT'S ALL TRUMP DOES THAT'S THE ANSWER TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS HE DID IT TO STEAL MONEY IT'S VERY OBVIOUS

forkDestroyer@infosec.pub · -2 pts · 72d (2 replies)

Could you break down how money is stolen through a situation like this?

Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 72d

Hire a friend to do it, friend gives him kickbacks.

deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 9 pts · 72d

He hired 'his pool guy' to do it. So it's just an exercise in funneling some money to an acquaintance.

numbermess@fedia.io · 6 pts · 72d

I don't think they care/know much about pussy shit like planning. I think the only goal was to put that $18M into his slob friend's hands and then just say it was Obama's fault. The name of the company that did this is named Greenwater Services. This is all so stupid and wasteful and benefits nobody other than one of his thralls wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

Hawk@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 72d

They spend this much so Trump's buddy could pocket the money of course.

impairedimperator@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 72d

Well...in the case of boats, the paint is kind of designed specifically to wear off. Ironically, to control biological growth!

FatVegan@leminal.space · 1 pts · 72d

He probably hoped to be dead untill it comea off

W3dd1e@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 72d

They don’t care if it looks good on July 5th. Just needed to make it to his birthday and the holiday. They couldn’t even go that right.

RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 72d

An allegory for this entire administration.

A costly grift that paid someone a lot of money who is not an expert to do a shitty job, try to fix it the wrong way multiple times, while the whole thing falls apart and trump talks about how great a job was done.

Apply that to everything he does except manipulate stocks.

auzy1@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 72d

They're already saying it needs protection from democrats who want to damage it

So.. already setting up the scapegoat

JoMiran@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 73d (7 replies)

Honest questions. If he wanted it blue, why not stain the concrete? Was it cracked? Did it actually need repair?

faltryka@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 73d (1 reply)

That might have happened if he sought competing bids from experts, but he just funneled the job to his pool guy, who was out of his depth.

deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 2 pts · 72d

It's a pretty shallow pool too

rljkeimig@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 73d (3 replies)

I thought the bottom was granite, and fairly dark so probably not able to be stained.

JoMiran@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 73d

Ah. So applying a layer of dark colored epoxy might have ruined the granite forever?

Warl0k3@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 72d (1 reply)
rljkeimig@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 72d

Crazy, that's a lot of concrete, I'm sure it is less expensive than granite and I guess I feel it is less stupid to paint concrete than granite blocks.

wewbull@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 72d

It was dark before to create the mirror effect. Don't think a stain would show up.

foodandart@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 73d

Well, it's nice to see that the American taxpayers got their money's worth for the workmanship and materials of the project.

Bristlecone@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 72d

So dumb

Rentlar@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 73d

The pool paint job is still going better than more than half the things the Trump administration has undertaken. That should say a lot.

Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 72d (1 reply)

I bet if you got a film company who use mostly practical effects in to use the reflecting pool in their movie they would hire the right people to come in and deal with the algae and paint job and make it shine again. They would use their own money and trump would look even worse. Heck let me at it an di think i could work out what is needed with enough research and send him a bill.

I mean, i would definitely sub contract, but it would be to experts. Not idiots.

wewbull@feddit.uk · 6 pts · 72d

Got to be practical effects, because the green of the pool now is quite good for CGI

MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io · 5 pts · 73d

So what? 🤷‍♂️ his birthday is over.

TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com · 4 pts · 73d

Holy crap!

Redvenom@retrolemmy.com · 4 pts · 72d

I hope they kept the receipt, but I think pouring bleach into the pool void the warranty

thethrilloftime69@feddit.online · 3 pts · 71d

This is the such an unbelievably dumb story. They've kept this reflecting pool clean for decades, but now some moron keeps skimping somewhere and nobody can figure out how to keep it clean anymore. And we are blowing through more money than previously necessary, all because some giant asshole keeps grifting the American people.

Eww@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 71d

If only there were a department to investigate waste, fraud and abuse.....

garbagehead@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 72d

Sounds like a bad contractor.