...
By Marni Rose McFall
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon both mocked President Donald Trump over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday night after a $14 million makeover to give the historic landmark an "American flag blue" finish was beset by algal blooms, which turned the water green.
Teams of National Park Service employees and contractors used hydrogen peroxide on Tuesday as part of an ongoing effort to overcome the issue. Late-night shows seized on the complications, with Kimmel telling his audience on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the pool was now "Mexican flag green."
...
Read More on News
The ridicule has turned a maintenance problem at one of Washington’s most visible landmarks into a political headache for the Trump administration: Trump has made tackling the problem part of a Washington beautification project ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.
The Interior Department previously told Newsweek that the National Park Service was actively maintaining the newly renovated Reflecting Pool and said nanobubbler technology had killed the algae bloom, with crews vacuuming up the remaining material.
Why It Matters
The issue's timing, ahead of July 4 events and the Great American State Fair, a 16-day celebration on the National Mall marking America’s 250th anniversary, has increased pressure to stabilize the water's appearance. The renovation comes amid wider beautification efforts led by Trump and his administration, from the Rose Garden revamp, to the ongoing construction of a controversial ballroom.
It's not the first time that the pool has been renovated. In 2012, under President Barack Obama, the pool underwent a major $30 million renovation. Afterward, a similar problem occurred, with algal blooms appearing within weeks, prompting additional cleaning and water treatment.
Kimmel and Fallon Mock Trump Pool Makeover
Kimmel showed footage on his show, adding: "Trump spent reportedly $14 million updating the reflecting pool on the National Mall."
"He set out to resurface and repaint it because he didn't like the way it looked. He wanted to paint it American flag blue. That was the color. So, the project was completed last week. And now, not even a week later, it's already completely green," he said.
"He was trying to make the water American flag blue," Kimmel said. "But due to algae growth, it’s now a bright green."
"Trump was going for Avatar and he ended up with Shrek," he quipped.
Fallon, meanwhile, while hosting on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, said, "President Trump just finished his $14 million project on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool," before quickly being interrupted with boos from the audience.
Fallon joked that he was "worried" about the pool because "Trump said if he can’t turn the water blue, he’s going to turn the American flag green"
"It’s not good right now," Fallon added. "The reflecting pool is changing colors more often than Trump’s hand. It’s interesting."
He then referenced the National Park Service’s efforts to resolve the issue. "Not a big deal," he quipped. "They only needed to pour in 80,000 gallons of hydrogen peroxide every 24 hours."
"Right after that, a pigeon landed in the pool and came out looking like a dove. It was beautiful."
Kimmel also referenced the hydrogen peroxide and said: "Which is also how he colors his hair, by the way."
"He said he would drain the swamp," Kimmel said. "Instead, he spent 14 million of our dollars building a new one."
"His next step is to move St. Patrick’s Day to July and claim it’s green on purpose."
Neither man is a stranger to criticizing, or being criticized by the president.
For Kimmel, this notably came to a head in 2025 when his show was briefly taken off the air over remarks he made referencing the "MAGA gang" and Trump's response to a reporter's question in the aftermath of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
At the time, Trump celebrated the suspension, dubbing it "Great News for America," and said that similar action should be taken to Fallon’s show.
The Renovation and Why the Pool Looks Green
The renovation was ordered by Trump as part of a broader plan to refresh the National Mall ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary and centered on resurfacing the century‑old Reflecting Pool with a dark blue coating meant to enhance its appearance and address persistent leaks.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which spans more than 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, has long struggled with structural problems, including chronic leaking, algae growth, and recurring water‑quality issues.
As images of the pool from the last few days show, algae are spreading across the surface just days after the pool was refilled. This, in turn, raised questions about whether the redesign has altered conditions in ways that favor rapid blooms.
Earlier this year, the pool was drained so crews could repair its deteriorating basin and underlying infrastructure. Workers then applied the new darker coating, intended to achieve the "American flag blue" tone Trump requested, before refilling and reopening the pool.
The accelerated schedule—draining, resurfacing, and refilling within just a few weeks—left only a brief period for the system to flush and stabilize, a phase when water quality is especially prone to rapid fluctuations.
And experts have said that while the outbreak is embarrassing, it is not surprising, given that the pool has struggled with algal blooms for more than a century. Its design—being shallow, exposed to sunlight, and filled with water drawn from nearby natural sources—means it is primed for algae growth, as warm water and sunlight give the plant the prime conditions. This in turn makes algae a continual problem to tackle.
An Interior Department spokesperson contrasted the current cleanup with past reopenings, saying the algal bloom had "plagued every pool reopening since 1922," adding that the "Obama pool reopening" had left "massive algae clumps" on the surface after years of construction.
"Now, due to deploying the advanced nanobubbler technology, the algae is dead and being vacuumed up as we speak," the spokesperson told Newsweek. "We thank President Trump for fixing the Reflecting Pool for good."
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines