Trump says his administration will sue ABC News over its reporting on the algae covered Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation

President Donald Trump says on Truth Social that his administration is getting ready to sue ABC News over its recent coverage of repair work at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The project was supposed to give the pool an American flag painted on its blue base. Instead, the pool has been hit by heavy algae growth and peeling paint.

The pool has drawn attention recently after visitors noticed the water turning a clear green color. Some tourists have reportedly been seen pulling off loose pieces of paint from the bottom of the pool to keep as souvenirs. 

Trump says the problems are the result of vandalism, claiming that people poured fertilizer into the water, though he has not given any evidence to back up this claim. He insists that this alleged vandalism is the only reason the pool looks the way it does right now.

Trump claims past administrations spent far more and got worse results

Trump accused ABC News of leaving out important details about the pool’s history and how much money past administrations spent on it. In his post, Trump wrote, “In describing the Vandalism that took place at the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., ABC FAKE NEWS, one of the worst in the business, even paying me $16,000,000 for past bad and inaccurate reporting, failed to report that their close “friends,” Dumocrats Obama and Biden, spent over 100 Million Dollars on the Reflecting Pool, and it never worked. In fact, it was rarely open due to leaks and “stench.” 

They wanted to spend 300 to 400 Million Dollars, but just let it ROT. I spent approximately 16 Million Dollars, and it came out great, except for the Vandalism, which we are now fixing. It was also a much bigger job than originally envisioned, including the outer areas and sidewalks. We are preparing lawsuits against ABC for false reporting. I like their money, which will be given to the U.S. Treasury! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT”

According to Mediaite, the spending figure Trump gave about his predecessors appears to be inaccurate. The Obama administration did spend $35 million on the pool, but there is no record showing that President Joe Biden oversaw any major work at the site. This is not the first time the pool has turned green right after major work was finished, as an earlier renovation also faced the same algae problem.

Tensions between the administration and the network grew last week when ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl reported live from the pool. During his segment, Karl said, “Fourteen million dollars was spent to drain this whole thing and to paint the bottom American flag blue. As you can see, it’s all green now. They know that. They’re trying to kill the algae. But as they’re doing that, something else has happened.”

Karl showed the problem by holding up a piece of peeling paint that was still stuck to the floor of the pool. Trump later responded to the report by claiming that Karl was trying to damage the surface on purpose. This is not the only recent dispute involving an ABC reporter and the president, as a separate dispute over a phone call claim has also drawn attention.

The renovation work was carried out by Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based company that received a $13.1 billion no-bid contract for the job, reports The New York Times. Reports also say the pool’s water purification system was installed by Greenwater Services, a company owned by the J.J. Cafaro Trust, which was also given its contract without a bidding process. John J. Cafaro, who leads the trust, pleaded guilty in 2001 to bribing a congressman.