Trump cites – President Donald Trump pointed to language and images from older X posts to claim the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is “crystal clear,” even as federal officials describe ongoing repairs and dispute how the damage occurred.
On a sweltering July 5, President Donald Trump framed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s troubled renovation like it was already finished—sharing a screenshot of an “undated memo” that credited “advanced nanobubbler technology” for water that is “crystal clear.”
But the president’s post reused wording and photos that had already been published on X on June 17, around the same time the project was initially described as complete.
Trump’s July 5 post began with a screenshot of an undated memo written by Greg Wischer. who the memo described as a critical minerals consultant and a deputy assistant secretary at the Interior Department. In the memo. Wischer said the Reflecting Pool was “crystal clear. ” attributing the result to “advanced nanobubbler technology. ” and he described the National Park Service as “vacuuming up” the remainder of the dead algae.
The memo’s language also tied the cleanup to timing: Wischer wrote that “the vacuuming is the final maintenance step after refilling the pool,” adding that it “will be complete in a few days.” The screenshot included photos of the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument.
Trump also shared a screenshot of an X post from the Interior Department’s press office that used. verbatim. the same language from Wischer’s memo and included the same photos. That Interior Department X post. too. was originally published on June 17—again. around the time the project was initially deemed complete.
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the older posts the president shared.
At the same time Trump posted, Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum defended the state of the renovation on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos on July 5. Burgum said the nanobubbler technology—technology he said “hasn’t existed before”—has left the pool water clear.
Stephanopoulos pushed on costs and progress, asking why the price of the no-bid contract had risen from $2 million to more than $15 million while the pool “still isn’t fixed.”
Burgum responded by drawing a line between a visible problem and a leak that had been driving the public attention. “Well, it’s fixed in the sense that it’s no longer leaking 45,000 gallons a day,” he said.
He also disputed the scope of the damage Trump has repeatedly referenced. Trump has pointed to a “350-foot gash” in the pool’s industrial liner—attributing the damage to “vandals”—as the reason the Reflecting Pool has struggled. Burgum said the 350-foot figure actually reflects several smaller gashes that add up to 350 feet.
According to Burgum, the total length amounts to “less than one-tenth of 1% of that industrial liner that’s been damaged,” while “99.99% of the pool bottom is perfect.”
Burgum added that the administration has video evidence and eyewitness accounts alleging people destroyed the Reflecting Pool. He acknowledged that some photos and videos have surfaced showing tourists touching the water. but he said nothing has been made public to support claims that people sliced up the liner with razors or box cutters.
The dispute has also intersected with criminal proceedings. On July 2, a grand jury indicted David Hearn, an Olympic canoeist accused of tampering with the pool. Hearn denies the allegations, saying he saw a piece of liner floating on the surface of the pool and merely touched it.
In his “This Week” interview, Burgum said he thinks the press should “move on” from the Reflecting Pool story, calling the renovations a “big success.”
Trump Truth Social Reflecting Pool Lincoln Memorial Doug Burgum Interior Department nanobubbler technology Greg Wischer David Hearn grand jury indictment tourism renovation costs
Nanobubbler?? sounds like sci-fi fluff honestly.
So the pool is crystal clear or not? They keep saying repairs but Trump posting old pics makes it seem done. I’m confused.
Wait, if it’s “crystal clear” why are federal officials talking about repairs. Also blaming dead algae like it’s a weather problem… maybe they just need to rebrand it.
The part about reusing X posts from June is crazy like ok sure, but maybe the repairs are already finished and they’re just arguing about how it got damaged. Like algae just shows up overnight right? I dunno. Trump probably just saw the screenshots and ran with it.