Trump flaunts Reflecting Pool makeover, contrasts 'filthy' Obama-era image with post-renovation shot

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is making the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool the centerpiece of his latest message on restoring America's landmarks.

In a new social media post on Sunday, July 5, Trump shared two side-by-side photographs, one taken during the Obama administration and one showing the results of his own administration's overhaul, arguing the images speak for themselves.

Trump posts visual comparison

The caption of Trump's Truth Social post read: "Here are photos comparing the Reflecting Pool one week after refilling under Obama vs President Trump."

The Obama-era image shows the pool covered with green, algae-filled water shortly after it was refilled following renovations more than a decade ago.

Beside it, Trump's photo presents a noticeably clearer basin with blue-tinted water reflecting the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.

Rather than adding lengthy commentary, Trump allowed the visual comparison to highlight his point.

By placing photographs from the two restoration periods side by side, the president sought to highlight what his administration describes as the successful completion of the Reflecting Pool makeover despite earlier algae concerns that briefly overshadowed the project.

Reflecting Pool becomes a flashpoint

The comparison follows weeks of debate surrounding the latest renovation of one of Washington's most recognizable landmarks.

Soon after the Reflecting Pool reopened, visitors shared photographs showing patches of green algae spreading across the water, prompting criticism of the Trump administration's multimillion-dollar restoration effort.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Sunday that the discoloration resulted from algae remaining inside refill pipes while the basin was being filled and insisted the issue had since been fully resolved.

According to Burgum, newly installed nanobubbler technology has restored the water to a clear condition and is expected to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

The Reflecting Pool has undergone two major modernization projects during the past two decades.

During the Obama administration, the National Park Service completed a roughly $34 million reconstruction that addressed long-standing structural problems, including leaks, sinking sections and poor water circulation.

The project introduced a new filtration system, switched the pool's water source, reduced its depth to conserve water and added paved walkways around the memorial.

The current renovation under the Trump administration focused on upgrading infrastructure while introducing additional water-quality technology.

Officials also repainted the basin floor with an "American flag blue" finish designed to improve the pool's appearance and reflective quality.