President Donald Trump took to social media to criticize protesters at the Reflecting Pool, sharing an image of a demonstrator wearing an inflatable frog costume with "AMPHIFA" written on it.
Trump posted on Truth Social, "Here is another example of a crazy pro-algae (likely paid) protestor," accompanied by the photograph. The demonstration occurred at the Reflecting Pool, which the Trump administration had recently drained and repainted a shade called "American flag blue" at a cost of over $14 million.
Soon after the repainting and refilling of the pool, issues arose, including the blue bottom paint peeling and an algal bloom turning the water green. Experts suggested that the new blue coating may have contributed to conditions favorable for algae growth. Trump claimed that "chemicals" and vandals using a "box-cutter or a knife of some kind" to create a "slit" caused these problems, though he did not provide evidence. Protesters, however, have attributed the issues to the administration's "incompetence."
One protester, Nadine Seiler, told WUSA that the blue paint was peeling and that touching it was being classified as vandalism. She also stated that the Reflecting Pool "is a reflection of the incompetence of this fascist regime."
Trump also took issue with a protest sign that read, "First they came for the algae," a reference to Martin Niemöller's 1946 poem "First They Came."
Social media users widely mocked Trump's choice of image for his post, with some suggesting it depicted him "boxing at shadows."