And people close to him likely said it too. But no, Trump is going to be Trump and do what HE wants. We’re looking at what he’s doing to wreck memorials. We’re looking at what he’s doing in the nation’s capital. And we’re already tired of the vanity projects where we’re bleeding money to make him happy. But this was a foregone conclusion. With respect to Raw Story:
Workers were spotted dumping hydrogen peroxide by the gallon into the Reflecting Pool days after President Donald Trump’s $14.2 million renovation turned it green. CBS News journalist Bob Kovach was on the ground at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Tuesday morning. He posted a video of gallon jugs labeled “hydrogen peroxide” lined up at the water’s edge, with workers kneeling beside them and pouring the chemical straight in. The pool, which Trump had painted “American flag blue” and refilled just 12 days ago, has since turned a mossy green.
This was absolutely going to happen. If the water system wasn’t cleaned, at the very least, it likely needs a whole new system; it was going to go back to green exactly as fast as it did. This has been a problem for years. It’s probably going to stay a problem that we have to pay for. Government money is our money, too. Gallons of hydrogen peroxide will help a little bit in that specific area, but it’s not going to help for long.
Trump originally pitched the project as a one-week, $1.5 to $2 million job. It ballooned into a $14.2 million no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings — and algae appeared within days of the water being returned. A pool renovation expert had seen it coming. Canadian specialist Steve Goodale, known as “Swimming Pool Steve,” warned the Washingtonian that darker paint absorbs more sunlight, raises water temperature, and makes algae blooms inevitable. “‘If we change nothing else except the color, and we go from a lighter color to a darker color, absolutely you’re going to have more prolific algae growth,'” Goodale said. “‘It’s a foregone conclusion.'”
There is no way in hell that Trump would understand that. He wouldn’t even try. The only thing his blue did was make the green come back faster. Is it possible to remove the blue? What could be done when he’s gone? The water system really does need to be replaced. If one piece gets missed when it’s cleaned, it will be a waste of time because that one small spot will re-contaminate the water. That’s a guess, but it’s a logical inference if you think about it. People who visit expect it to be green. They know about the problem.
“‘Y’all, not to be a huge nerd but for the reflecting pool you would need a minimum of about 8,000 liters of 12% hydrogen peroxide to reach the 50 parts per million concentration to kill algae,'” Dr. Michael O’Brien, a South Carolina pediatrician, wrote on X. “Is this what happens when you have 0 scientists in your administration?” //// “‘They are now pouring bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the ultra-green algae-filled Reflecting Pool that Trump wasted $10m of our money on,'” commentator Brian Krassenstein piled on. The Interior Department blamed “residual algae” from supply lines that had been dormant during construction, insisting that nanobubblers would keep the pool clean going forward.
Had to look that up. Apparently, nanobubblers are a real thing and can help with algae buildup. Interesting. So, now we know the peroxide won’t help, and they’re probably going to have to skim it again until the water system catches up. But they will also likely need to fight this battle all summer, especially with the hot summers we’re getting. So Trump’s lovely money-wasting, American Flag Blue reflecting pool is green, and he can’t do a damn thing about it.
I apologize to all of you. I’ve been off my game lately due to things. I’ll be back on it shortly. See you soon!
Friends, I know everybody begs you for money. I promise you that, of all the outlets bugging you for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest-working. We’re a bunch of old, disabled people, except one writer in his mid-50s. But the rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the ability to continue our quest to tell the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
