Donald Trump, without offering evidence, blamed “vandalism” for “real problems” at Washington’s reflecting pool after an algae bloom in the wake of a $14.2m renovation of the site that he declared would turn it “American flag” blue. Paint has been seen peeling off in the water. He also made claims that vandals had been arrested.
Days after his administration claimed the pool was actually “crystal clear”, despite an unmistakably green hue, the US president acknowledged issues – and claimed there had been foul play.
“We’ve cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues, and 22 Fountains in Washington DC,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform on Friday night. “However, we’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial.”
Trump claims people arrested for vandalising ‘magnificent’ pool
In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump claimed, again without producing evidence, that “multiple individuals” had been arrested by US park police for “vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll”.
“Who would do such a thing?” Trump wrote. “These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.”
Trump also claimed in his post that the algae problem was largely under control, suggesting it was “75% gone” and the issue would soon be “completely remedied”.
Trump’s DC makeover frenzy bewilders locals and visitors
Washington DC is “a different city right now” as Donald Trump tries to put his stamp on the capital in time for the US’s forthcoming 250th anniversary celebrations.
“It’s so symbolic of what he’s doing to the country. It’s like he’s shitting all over our nation’s capital,” said Norma Roth, a children’s book author.
Investigation finds that 93% of ICE arrests targeted Latinos
Federal agents have arrested hundreds of immigrants off New York and New Jersey streets in recent months in a stealth enforcement campaign that disproportionately targeted people from Latin American countries, according to an investigation by the City Reporter based on a review of more than 1,200 lawsuits.
More than 93% of the people grabbed off area streets who filed suit were from Latin American countries, although Latinos make up only 66% of immigrants without legal status in the region.
US treasury chief urged Trump not to host ‘Mr Bean on crack’ Zelenskyy, book says
Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, advised Donald Trump not to host Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, having called the Ukrainian president a “little fucker”, a “special-needs child” and “Mr Bean on crack”, according to a new book.
The suggestion that a US cabinet official described a world leader in such terms is included in Regime Change, a blockbusting account of the second Trump administration by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, set to be published worldwide on Tuesday.
‘It’s not science, it’s coercion’: health experts decry RFK Jr order on hantavirus quarantine
The Trump administration is employing “authoritarian” and “unconstitutional” quarantine measures for at least one person who came into contact with a hantavirus patient, health law experts say.
Trump loyalist Jim Jordan linked to group that received ‘dark money’ from ICE contractor
Jim Jordan is among the most famous names in this stretch of Ohio.
The congressman and chair of the powerful House judiciary committee is considered among the most conservative and influential members in Congress, and is a longtime loyalist of Donald Trump.
But a report released last month by Pogo Investigates, a nonprofit newsroom, highlighted the close ties between Jordan and a company profiting from the Trump administration’s anti-immigration crackdown.
What else happened today:
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 19 June 2026.