Ocasio-Cortez blasts – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit President Donald Trump over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s renovation, saying it was meant to be “American flag blue” but has turned green with algae—and that paint has begun peeling, with some visitors reportedly taki
By the time visitors start noticing the paint peeling at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the story has already moved past a simple aesthetics problem.
On Tuesday, at the Capitol, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mocked President Donald Trump and his renovation effort—now marred by algae blooms that have left the pool a vivid green. Ocasio-Cortez responded to a question about the debacle by drawing a line between the administration’s promises and the reality on the ground: when she described what Trump wanted. she said the goal was “American flag blue. ” but the result has become something else entirely.
“They talked a bunch of smack,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “They said they had to repaint the pool, and now they’ve turned the place into a swamp. They turned it into an actual swamp.”
The algae is not just visible. Last week, visitors began noticing paint peeling away from the bottom of the pool, and some tourists reportedly began ripping off pieces of the paint to take as souvenirs.
For Ocasio-Cortez, the frustration isn’t only about the reflecting effect on the Washington skyline. She connected the episode to a broader political argument about expertise and priorities.
“When you defund science research, when you don’t really understand the first thing about science, yeah, they talked a bunch of smack,” she said.
That contrast—between a promise and a public mess—is a theme Trump has carried for years. During his 2016 and 2024 presidential runs, Trump promised to “drain the swamp” that is Washington, D.C.
Whether this renovation episode becomes part of that same larger political fight depends on what happens next: visitors are already removing parts of the paint, and the pool’s new look is dominated by algae rather than the “American flag blue” Trump wanted.
The contracting story adds another layer to the criticism. The Reflecting Pool was renovated by Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based company that was awarded a $13.1 million no-bid contract.
Then. on Thursday. The New York Times reported that the pool’s new water purification system was installed via another no-bid contract by Greenwater Services. Greenwater Services is owned by J.J. Cafaro Trust, headed by John J. Cafaro. In 2001, Cafaro pleaded guilty to bribing a congressman, whom he later testified against.
Taken together, the claims Ocasio-Cortez made on Tuesday and the details tied to the work create a sharp question about what went wrong—and why multiple steps of a highly visible federal project moved forward without open competition.
The project is no longer just “under renovation.” The pool has become a daily reality for tourists, with a green hue from algae blooms and visible paint issues that some visitors have turned into souvenirs.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Donald Trump Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool algae blooms Atlantic Industrial Coatings Greenwater Services no-bid contract science research Washington DC politics
Green pool = obviously a swamp now, right? 😂
So they repainted it American flag blue and it turned green with algae… sounds like they forgot basic cleaning or something. But also people stealing paint pieces is wild.
Isn’t this like… the government proofing program? Like the paint peeling is the deep state testing new moss tech. Also AOC always says defund science but Trump didn’t even “build” it, he just picked a color.
I mean the headline says “swamp” and it’s literally green algae so her point kinda lands. Still, why would tourists rip paint off the bottom?? That’s not how preservation works. Also “American flag blue” sounds like a Pinterest job, not engineering. If it’s peeling already then they should just drain it and start over, and yeah maybe invest in experts instead of vibes.