2026-06-20T16:00:40.163Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/20/politics/reflecting-pool-lincoln-memorial-algae-renovation
- 唐纳德·特朗普总统耗资1400万美元的林肯纪念堂倒影池翻新工程在独立日（7月4日）前夕成为全国热议的焦点事件。
- 尽管美国内政部声称池水清澈见底，但该工程始终面临藻类问题和蓝色材料脱落的困扰。
- 随着围绕这场问题频发的翻新工程的阴谋论甚嚣尘上，游客和政界人士纷纷涌向该地点。
AI生成的摘要经CNN编辑审核。
今年早些时候，唐纳德·特朗普总统将林肯纪念堂倒影池描述为“极度肮脏”，并誓言要清理这座标志性地标，让它“看起来华丽、美观”，重新倒映出周围的联邦纪念建筑。
这项耗资1400万美元的翻新工程成为了总统的宠儿，象征着他美化华盛顿特区的努力，相关建筑改造还包括在“美国250周年”庆祝活动前修建白宫宴会厅和翻新首都年久失修的喷泉。
但随着7月4日临近，这座位于亚伯拉罕·林肯雕像脚下的水池，反而折射出公众对这些美化举措以及特朗普总统任期本身的深刻分歧。此前，持续的藻类问题和水池重新粉刷的池底蓝色材料脱落，导致翻新工程一再延误。
特朗普周五呼应了右翼圈子中出现的说法，称水池出现问题是人为破坏所致，并将其与几天前国家草坪上被刻上“8647”字样一事联系起来，他补充说执法部门正在调查此事。
“我们在美丽的倒影池遭遇了一些严重的破坏问题，”特朗普在Truth Social上写道，但并未提供证据。“藻类已经减少了75%，情况很快就会完全改善，幸运的是，遭到破坏的区域只是一小部分，将于下周初修复完毕。”
近日，游客和当地居民纷纷涌向该地点，拍摄浑浊的绿色池水发布到社交媒体上，这些帖子要么谴责特朗普的总统任期，要么热情捍卫清理华盛顿的努力。有人还撕下条状的蓝色材料当作纪念品。还有人拍摄联邦工作人员向水中倾倒过氧化氢瓶子的画面。
周六上午，一些游客在慢跑、骑行或来首都旅游途中顺道参观了这座地标。他们中的一些人拍摄了水池的照片和视频，将焦点对准藻类，还有人经过时大声表达对水池现状的不满。池底的藻类上有几处涂鸦，包括一张笑脸。与此同时，联邦雇员正开展清理工作，用大型软管抽吸藻类。
“简直离谱：一边怒斥浪费、欺诈和滥用职权，特朗普政府却花了1400万美元翻新倒影池，结果现在池皮脱落且满是藻类，”俄勒冈州民主党参议员杰夫·默克利在X平台上发帖称。“我正在推动就这一令人尴尬的资源浪费问题寻求答案。”
随着华盛顿温暖潮湿的天气助长藻类生长，内政部对肉眼可见的藻类数量增多一事不予理会。
该部门新闻办公室周三在X平台上发帖，吹嘘其清理藻类的努力，并将池水描述为“清澈见底”。
CNN已联系内政部置评，并询问清理工作的更多细节。
就目前而言，这项本应是将这座百年水池恢复其应有荣光的简单任务，如今已变成一场闹剧，游客们出于负面原因涌入这个浅水池塘。
特朗普于3月下旬着手开展此前历任总统都未能完成的翻新工程。他在Truth Social上的一篇帖子中批评拜登政府未接手该项目，称巴拉克·奥巴马总统时期耗资3400万美元的重建工作以失败告终。
在接下来的几周里，特朗普扩大了工程范围，并下令进行外观改造，包括将池底漆成类似美国国旗蓝色区域的色调。这一油漆变更立即引发了一个非营利组织的诉讼，该组织辩称，该项目违反了联邦法律，要求内政部完成咨询程序，包括在开工前通知公众计划并征求其他联邦机构的意见。
总统还希望该工程能在7月4日前完工，这一加速的时间表被政府承认推高了总成本——几乎是最初180万美元估算成本的7倍。
特朗普曾到访该工地查看进展，并在工程完工前几周就开始庆祝，他在Truth Social上发布了一张AI生成的图片，图中他和一些内阁成员在水池中微笑漂浮。
但就在水池注满水的第二天，从池边就已经能看到不少藻类。
内政部当时告诉CNN，这些藻类是“残留藻类”，是重新注水初期过程中的正常现象。
然而，几天之内，成团的藻类就覆盖了整个水池，促使政府派遣工作人员用真空设备抽吸藻类、安装被称为“臭氧纳米气泡发生器”的过滤装置，并倾倒数加仑的过氧化氢。
对特朗普政府来说更糟糕的是，本周早些时候，池底的蓝色材料开始脱落。目前尚不清楚该材料是油漆还是密封剂，也不清楚是什么导致其脱落。
民主党网友迅速幸灾乐祸。
弗吉尼亚州参议员马克·华纳在X平台上发帖称：“惊喜啊——给特朗普某个好友的腐败特惠交易最终以灾难收场。”他似乎是在引用《纽约时报》的报道，称特朗普政府将一项无竞标合同授予了与特朗普盟友有关联的俄亥俄州一家公司。
前民主党副总统候选人、明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹也发表了看法。
“凭空捏造一个问题，声称只有自己能解决，不听专家意见，雇佣好友牟取数百万美元利益，结果一败涂地，还吹嘘一切进展顺利。这就是整个特朗普总统任期的缩影，”瓦尔兹在X平台上发帖称。
除了政界人士，这场持续发酵的水池事件还引发了一场充斥着虚假言论和阴谋论的在线辩论。
左翼社交媒体用户截取了一段福克斯新闻主持人为翻新工程辩护的视频，并错误地声称他将可见的绿色池水描述为蓝色。（他实际指的是水池池底。）
与此同时，右翼保守派媒体人格兰特·斯廷奇菲尔德声称，过量的藻类是自由派“破坏”的产物。
“这是恶意破坏吗？我倾向于认为是，”斯廷奇菲尔德在倒影池外向其在线观众表示。“除非有人动手，否则你不会在这么短的时间内看到这么多藻类。”
保守派影响者尼克·索托周四晚发布的一段视频也引发了关注。该视频似乎显示池底的藻类上被刻上了“8647”字样。CNN周六无法独立确认该涂鸦的存在。
在水池外，一群好奇的围观者和社交媒体网红也聚集于此。一名女子举着写有绿色“藻类”字样的横幅，高呼“藻类比MAGA（让美国再次伟大）更聪明”。
独立记者艾米丽·米勒到场报道所谓的蓝色材料被盗事件，声称美国公园警察当场逮捕了一名嫌疑人。CNN已联系公园警方询问逮捕相关情况。《华盛顿邮报》报道称，被逮捕的是三届美国奥运会选手戴维·赫恩。
与此同时，与这场争论没有明显关联的游客也纷纷前来亲眼看看水池到底有多绿。
来自加利福尼亚州的马修·韦默尔正在华盛顿特区探访朋友，他对翻新工程表示赞赏。
“我觉得有人愿意为此采取行动，这非常棒，”韦默尔说。当被问及水池面临的批评时，他说：“那些批评的人，他们又在为改善现状做些什么？”
来自康涅狄格州的凯拉·赛克斯正在华盛顿参加单身派对，她顺路来到国家广场见证这场闹剧。
“看起来相当恶心。我已经拍了大约20张照片了，尤其是清理人员的照片，因为我不知道这辈子还能不能再看到这样的场景，”她说。“最好还是别再看到了。”
CNN的孙伦·瑟法蒂、基特·马厄、杜格尔德·麦康奈尔、阿比盖尔·罗德赛默、迈克尔·威廉姆斯、德文·科尔、汤姆·福尔曼、本·克罗洛维茨、贝齐·克莱因和克里斯汀·霍姆斯对本文亦有贡献。
Algae, peeling blue material, conspiracy theories: Reflecting Pool takes national spotlight
2026-06-20T16:00:40.163Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/20/politics/reflecting-pool-lincoln-memorial-algae-renovation
- President Donald Trump’s $14 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become a national spectacle ahead of July 4.
- The project faces persistent algae problems and peeling blue material despite Interior Department claims the water is crystal clear.
- Tourists and politicians have flocked to the site as conspiracy theories swirl about the troubled renovation effort.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump described the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as “absolutely filthy,” vowing to clean up the iconic landmark and make it “look gorgeous, beautiful” so it again reflects the federal monuments around it.
The $14 million renovation became a pet project for the president, symbolizing his efforts to beautify Washington, DC, with architectural changes that have also included building a White House ballroom and refurbishing run-down fountains in the nation’s capital ahead of the America 250 celebrations.
But with July 4 fast approaching, the pool that sits near the feet of Abraham Lincoln’s statue has instead come to reflect the deep divisions over those beautification efforts — and Trump’s presidency itself — after the renovation project has been set back by a persistent algae problem and the peeling of a blue material from the repainted bottom of the pool.
Trump on Friday echoed claims that have surfaced in right-wing circles that the pool’s problems are a result of vandalism, and linked it to the etching of “8647” into the grass on the National Mall days prior, adding that law enforcement is investigating.
“We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, without citing evidence. “The algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week.”
Tourists and local residents alike have flocked to the site in recent days, shooting videos of the murky green water for social media posts that feature either a condemnation of Trump’s presidency or a passionate defense of the effort to clean up DC. Some peeled off strips of the blue material to take as souvenirs. Others filmed federal workers pouring bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the water.
On Saturday morning, some visitors stopped by the landmark on their jog, as they bicycled or as part of their overall trip to the nation’s capital. Several of them took photos and videos of the pool, focusing in on the algae, while others loudly expressed their frustrations with the state of the pool as they passed by. On the algae at the bottom of the pool were a few tracings, including a smiley face. Meanwhile, federal employees worked on clean up efforts, vacuuming the algae with big hoses.
“You can’t make this up: after railing about waste, fraud, and abuse, the Trump Administration spent $14 million on a reflecting pool reno that’s now peeling and chock full of algae,” Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon said in a post on X. “I’m pressing to get answers for this embarrassing waste of resources.”
The Interior Department has dismissed the visible signs of algae that have only become more abundant as DC’s warm, muggy weather fosters its growth.
In a post on X Wednesday, the department’s press office touted its efforts to clear out the algae and described the water as being “crystal clear.”
CNN has reached out to the Interior Department for comment and additional details on the clean up efforts.
For now, what was meant to be a straightforward task to return the century-old pool to its intended glory has become a spectacle, drawing tourists to the shallow pool of water for the wrong reason.
Trump set out to accomplish the renovation that has eluded previous presidents in late March. In a post on Truth Social, he criticized the Biden administration for not taking on the project after a $34 million reconstruction effort under President Barack Obama proved to be unsuccessful.
In the weeks that followed, Trump expanded the scope of the project and ordered cosmetic changes, including painting the bottom of the pool a shade of blue that resembles the American flag’s blue field. The paint change immediately trigged a lawsuit from a nonprofit group, which argued that the project violates federal laws requiring the Interior Department to complete a consultation process that includes notifying the public of the plans and getting input from other federal agencies before beginning the work.
The president also wanted the project to be complete before July 4, an expedited timeline which the administration acknowledged drove up the total cost — nearly seven times as much as the initial estimate of $1.8 million.
Trump made a visit to the site to survey progress, and weeks before it was complete, he began celebrating by posting an AI-generated image to Truth Social of him and some of his Cabinet members smiling while floating in the pool.
But just a day after the reservoir was filled with water, there was already quite a bit of algae visible from the water’s edge.
The Interior Department told CNN at the time that the algae is “residual” and a normal part of the early process of restarting water flow.
However, within days, clumps of algae took over the pool, prompting the administration to send in workers to vacuum it out, install a filtration known as the “ozone nanobubbler” and dump in gallons of hydrogen peroxide.
To make matters worse for the Trump administration, earlier this week, blue material at the bottom of pool began peeling off. It is unclear if the material is paint or sealant or what caused it to come up.
Democrats online were quick to gloat.
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said in a post on X, “Surprise, surprise – the corrupt sweetheart deal for one of Trump’s buddies ended in disaster.” He appeared to refer to The New York Times’ reporting that the Trump administration gave a no-bid contract to an Ohio firm with ties to a Trump ally.
Former Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also weighed in.
“Found an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn’t listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably, bragged how great it went. The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell,” Walz said in a post on X.
Beyond lawmakers, the ongoing pool saga has prompted an online debate, filled with false claims and conspiracy theories.
Left-leaning social media users latched on to a clip of a Fox News personality defending the renovation, incorrectly claiming that he was describing the visibly green water as blue. (He was referring to the pool’s bottom.)
Meanwhile, on the right, conservative media personality Grant Stinchfield alleged that the excessive algae is a product of liberal “sabotage.”
“Is it nefarious? I tend to think so,” Stinchfield told his online viewers from outside the Reflecting Pool. “You wouldn’t have so much algae that you see in here, you would not have that, that quickly, unless somebody did something.”
A video posted by conservative influencer Nick Sortor on Thursday night has also garnered attention. The video appeared to show “8647” traced into the algae at the bottom of the pool. CNN could not independently see that tracing on Saturday.
Outside the pool, a collection of curiosity seekers and social media influencers have also gathered. One woman showed up with a banner painted with a green “Algae,” chanting “Algae’s smarter than MAGA.”
Independent journalist Emily Miller showed up to report on the purported theft of the blue material, claiming US Park Police arrested someone in the act. CNN has reached out to Park Police to ask about any arrests. The Washington Post reported that the person who was arrested is three-time US Olympian David Hearn.
Meanwhile, visitors with no apparent stake in the debate have flocked to see just how green the pool is for themselves.
Matthew Weimer of California, who was in Washington, DC, to visit friends, applauded the renovation.
“I think it’s pretty great that somebody cared enough to do something about it,” Weimer said. When asked about the criticisms the pool is facing, he said: “The people who are criticizing, what are they doing to make things better?”
Qayla Sykes, who visited from Connecticut for a bachelorette party, made a quick stop at the National Mall to take in the spectacle.
“It looks pretty gross. I’ve taken about like 20 pictures already, especially of the people cleaning it, because I don’t know if I’ll ever see this again in my lifetime,” she said. “Hopefully not.”
CNN’s Sunlen Serfaty, Kit Maher, Dugald McConnell, Abigail Roedersheimer, Michael Williams, Devan Cole, Tom Foreman, Ben Krolowitz, Betsy Klein and Kristen Holmes contributed to this report.
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