Reflecting Pool algae compared to Iranian Navy by Interior Dept in strange post as cracks & pro-slime protesters appear

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THE Interior Department has compared dead algae in Donald Trump’s renovated Reflecting Pool to the destroyed Iranian Navy in a bizarre social media post.

The strange boast came as a tear appeared in the pool’s new blue sealant and “pro-slime” protesters rallied in support of the green bloom.

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Green water with algae and peeling sealant.

As of June 18, algae-laden green water can be seen in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Credit: Getty

Algae being vacuumed from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

National Park Service employees and contractors use vacuums to remove green algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 18 Credit: Getty

Three demonstrators staged the tongue-in-cheek rally beside the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC.

The tiny group appeared to mock the administration’s frantic effort to remove the green bloom from the famous landmark.

National Park Service crews were still vacuuming dead algae from the bottom of the pool as the protest unfolded.

The spectacle came just days after the water turned green following a renovation costing more than $14 million.

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Workers have been battling to restore the “American Flag Blue” color ordered by Trump ahead of America’s 250th birthday.

But new footage raised further questions after chunks of the coating appeared to be lifting from the pool floor.

It was not immediately clear how widespread the apparent damage was or what caused it.

Officials have not publicly confirmed whether the coating has been damaged by the cleanup operation.

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Algae-laden green water with a visible tear in the sealant at the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The Interior Department blamed “residual” algae left inside supply pipes while the pool was empty Credit: Getty

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool shows a tear in its recently applied sealant, visible through algae-laden green water.

A tear in the recently applied sealant can be seen on the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 18 Credit: Getty

Crews poured jugs marked “12% hydrogen peroxide” into the water on Tuesday as they fought the algae.

The Interior Department said the chemical was milder than chlorine and had “no harmful side effects” for wildlife or the environment.

Officials also deployed a $1.7 million nanobubble treatment system designed to starve and destroy the algae.

The technology pumps ozone-filled microscopic bubbles into the water to break down toxins and other contaminants.

The Interior Department declared on Thursday that the system had “very effectively killed” the bloom.

It said workers were now vacuuming up dead algae that had settled across parts of the pool floor.

“The Reflecting Pool water is crystal clear,” the department claimed.

It said the cleanup was the final maintenance stage and would be finished within days.

A duck and nine ducklings swim in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

A duck and ducklings swim in the algae laden Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Credit: AP

Peeling blue paint from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Paint peels from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after recent renovations Credit: Reuters

Officials also compared the dead algae at the bottom of the pool to destroyed Iranian warships.

The algae was resting there “just like the destroyed Iranian Navy resting on the bottom of the Persian Gulf,” the department posted on X.

The administration said the section closest to the Lincoln Memorial had already been cleared.

Pictures shared by officials showed the blue coating becoming visible again after the algae was removed.

However, algae expert Christopher Gobler warned that the treatments may only provide temporary relief.

“There’s always going to be a rebound of the algae,” the Stony Brook University professor told Reuters.

“Hopefully it works as a quick fix, but these algae do tend to rebound.”

The pool was drained, sealed and resurfaced before refilling began on June 5.

Workers rolling up a blue tarp at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Workers roll a tarp as the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is refilled with water, after being painted blue at the direction of President Trump for America’s 250th anniversary on June 5 Credit: Reuters

A tear in the sealant of the algae-laden green water of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Trump previously insisted the new surface was far more than a basic coat of paint Credit: Getty

It turned visibly green again within days as temperatures rose across the capital.

The Interior Department blamed “residual” algae left inside supply pipes while the pool was empty.

Officials described the bloom as part of the site’s “normal startup process.”

Trump previously insisted the new surface was far more than a basic coat of paint.

“This was not a paint job,” he wrote on Truth Social on June 5.

“This was highly sophisticated material, industrial strength, that could last for 100 years, applied by very talented people.”

The no-bid resurfacing contract was awarded to Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings.

Trump has said the company previously carried out work at one of his golf clubs.

The president originally placed the cost of the project at about $1.8 million before it climbed beyond $14 million.

Algae has repeatedly plagued the shallow pool since it opened in 1922.

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The landmark stretches between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and was the setting for Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech.

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