Next Time a TDSer Mocks Algae in New Mall Reflecting Pool, Remind Him What Obama's Gross Version Looked Like
For an establishment media always on the lookout for the newest metaphor for Chaos in the White House™, algae in the National Mall reflecting pool was an appropriate target as it involves President Donald Trump.
Of course, for all the Derangement Syndrome sufferers whining about the pool, they’re forgetting when Barack Obama’s administration renovated the pool and ended up with an even worse mess — which the legacy media reported on, but didn’t attach any symbolic value to.
First, as to the current renovations, from CNN: “The Trump administration has spent days heavily promoting the finished renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, crediting the president with making Washington, DC, look ‘better than ever.’
“But a day after the reservoir was filled post renovations, there was already quite a bit of algae visible from the water’s edge.”
The Trump administration has spent days heavily promoting the finished renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, crediting the president with making Washington, DC, look “better than ever.”
But a day after the reservoir was filled post-renovations, there was already… pic.twitter.com/JdROzIPmgc
— CNN (@CNN) June 11, 2026
Indeed, CNN’s Kit Maher was on the scene, taking shots of the algae from every angle:
Algae cleanup at the Reflecting Pool this morning. Interior Dept says it’s “residual algae from the supply lines which have been sitting dormant for 8 weeks. It’s part of the normal startup process. We are removing the algae, and the nanobubblers will maintain the pool and keep… pic.twitter.com/4jebIPutqH
— Kit Maher (@KitMaherCNN) June 10, 2026
This breathless documentation of algae in a body of mostly stagnant water — who would have thought it? — brings to mind nothing so much as Officer Obie’s obsessive documentation of the littering in Arlo Guthrie’s song “Alice’s Restaurant,” but I digress. Because this would be unique if, say, it were accompanied by locusts or frogs falling from the sky.
CNN wasn’t alone in reporting the “news.” Other outlets, like The Washington Post and Politico, joined in.
And, of course, Very Online libs — like the TDSers at the liberal social media platform BlueSky — had themselves a field day:
Metaphor alert. 🚨
— Climatologist49 (@climatologist49.bsky.social) 2:03 PM · Jun 12, 2026
It’s really hard to tackle an algae problem when you believe the environment, nature, and weather are a Dem hoax
— Evergreen Innovations LLC (@evergreeninv.bsky.social) 2:32 PM · Jun 12, 2026
Scum arrives in time for the scum’s birthday.
— Francis Fuselier (@grumpydoc19.bsky.social) 2:42 PM · Jun 12, 2026
But as much as libs might be loath to admit it, it’s not a new story when it comes to Reflecting Pool work.
As CNN noted in a 2012 report, the pool “reopened at the end of August to great fanfare after a $34 million renovation.”
The problem? An even grosser algae bloom. This is what it looked like:
2012. CNN does a segment on the complete failure of Obama’s 2 year, $34 million reflecting pool renovation.
This was less than a month after the reflecting pool reopened.
Notice how CNN didn’t blame the Obama in any way. They would treat Trump the same way right?😜 pic.twitter.com/9z2QXxmwwn
— MAZE (@mazemoore) May 12, 2026
“It’s disgusting. It’s not right,” one tourist said.
“It smells like wet dog down here,” said another.
From NBC News at the time:
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool reopened to the public at the end of August, after an almost two-year renovation costing $34 million. After being recently filled back up with water, it is now full of algae. Ironically, the new pool was intended to “improve the reflectivity of the water” with tinted concrete.
Advertisement - story continues belowThe 90-year-old pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial that also reflects the soaring Washington Monument had provided one of the capital’s most-photographed views.
But the reflecting pool, which is about 160 feet wide and 2,100 feet long, had degraded badly over the decades.
Built on marshland without pilings for support, the original pool had sunk, causing cracks and leaks. The pool held 6.75 million gallons (25.6 million liters) of water but lost an estimated 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) a week to leaks and evaporation, the statement said.
And CNN noted the year before that that the pool was “a giant mud pit” and the new version “will actually have about a third less water than previously and will be shallower.”
No quips about “if you like your reflecting pool, you can keep your reflecting pool.” Or how the new “green” reflecting pool ended up literally turning green.
No breathlessness or obsessive shot-taking of the mess, except for the occasional report. No attempt to attach meaningless significance to it.
It’s almost like they were functioning as a regular media should, if using a bit too light of a touch. Wonder why that might have been!
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