A top House Democrat claimed Monday that algae in Washington, D.C.’s reflecting pool is the only issue her constituents back home are talking about.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) said her constituents were “outraged” by algae in the picturesque reflecting pool, calling it “sad” and a “real problem” on CNN.
“That’s all anybody talked about at home this weekend,” Dingell said. “It’s very sad, actually, as we do go into the 250th and you know, the 250th is a time that all of us should remember how lucky we are to live in this country, and what our forefathers put into that Constitution.”
U.S. Rep Debbie Dingell claims algae in the Washington, DC reflecting pool is all that her constituents were talking about over the weekend in Michigan.
“Algae, that’s all anybody talked at home this weekend. They were outraged.”
I’ll take things that never happened for $500. pic.twitter.com/kQ3fwFp4Iz
— Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) June 22, 2026
“I don’t know what’s happened. Algae’s a real problem, and it is in Michigan, it is in the Great Lakes, so maybe people will study it and understand what he did to the reflecting pool, which is part of the beauty of Washington. I don’t like that it’s there,” Dingell added.
The Michigan Democrat’s feedback follows days of protests and vandalism along the National Mall.
National Park Service crews have been scrubbing algae from the pool as strips of “American flag blue” paint and sealant peel from its bottom, weeks after a $14.8 million restoration, The Daily Wire previously reported. Algae growth has plagued the reflecting pool since it first opened in 1922, according to an X post from the Interior Department.
A White House reporter asked Trump in the Oval Office whether the contractors hired for the remodeling project were to blame.
“No, we had vandalism,” Trump said. “It’s not a lot of damage, but we’ll probably have to let the water out and re-fix it.”
Trump added that at least five have been arrested and five others are under investigation.
Reporter: Are the contractors who did the initial work with a reflecting pool, are they to blame for the current condition?
Trump: No, we had vandalism. I think 300 ft slit right through, probably a box cutter or a knife of some kind or we had people lifting up. 5 people are… pic.twitter.com/OZFqXDV00x
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 22, 2026
Three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn told ABC News that police arrested him on Friday after touching a piece of blue coating that was partially detached from the bottom of the reflecting pool. He stopped by the reflecting pool as a “curious, concerned citizen.”
“I saw a piece of this loose end of this blue coating … I reached out and touched the end of that piece that was loose but still attached to the bottom,” he told ABC News. “I was able to reach out and touch the edge of that that was still attached at the bottom and handled it a little bit.”
Alleged vandalism aside, viral videos circulating on social media show leftists holding “pro algae” protests, including one woman saying, “algae’s better than MAGA.”
A literal pro-algae protest in DC today
You can’t make this stuff up pic.twitter.com/6b5v5a0ayL
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 19, 2026
The issues plaguing the iconic landmark have drawn Trump’s ire as he pushes to restore the site ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, calling alleged vandals “SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!”
“Of the MANY Statues and Fountains that we rebuilt, renovated, cleaned, and fixed, the only one that was Vandalized was the Reflecting Pool, which is being taken care of, ASAP! It has been given a 300 foot long gash, chemicals have been illegally placed in the water, and the beautiful new grass field has been destroyed with a gigantic 86 47 chemically carved into it (Probably inspired by Dirty Cop, James Comey!),” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
“Please remember that there is a 10 year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things — Which will be fully enforced! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he added.
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