President Donald Trump highlighted the newly cleaned Lincoln Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., sharing images on Truth Social that showed the water appearing clear and blue with the Washington Monument reflected. He also called for public assistance in identifying suspects involved in recent vandalism at the pool.
Trump's Interior Department attributed the pool's clarity to "advanced nanobubbler technology" and efforts by the National Park Service. Greg Wischer, the Interior's deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management, stated in a letter shared with Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that the technology effectively eliminated algae that had previously plagued the pool since its reopening in 1922. The department's statement indicated that the National Park Service team was vacuuming dead algae from the pool's bottom, a process expected to conclude in a few days.
Images shared by Trump depicted the Reflecting Pool under blue skies, with one showing the Washington Monument reflected in the water. The Interior Department's social media also praised the technological success, noting that previous administrations, particularly during the Obama presidency, struggled to maintain the pool's clarity. The department claimed the nanobubbler technology and vacuuming had made the water exceptionally clear, allowing the "American Flag Blue coating" on the pool's bottom to be visible.
Burgum commented on Sunday that the Reflecting Pool had been a "big success" despite a few instances of vandalism. He mentioned that repairs would be completed in the coming weeks. Regarding the damage, Burgum indicated that the pool might not require a full draining, suggesting that repairs could potentially be made with a partial draining due to the nature and location of the damage along the edges.
Surveillance footage has been released by the U.S. Park Police showing an individual in connection with the destruction of government property investigation. The pool, which holds 6.75 million gallons of water, has been a target for critics and activists. Burgum noted that while the area around the Lincoln Memorial is equipped with numerous cameras, the Reflecting Pool itself had not experienced vandalism for decades prior to these recent incidents.