Cheering on an algae bloom

President Donald Trump has long possessed a unique ability to provoke his critics. Since descending the escalator at Trump Tower in 2015, he has inspired opposition on a scale few modern politicians have experienced or achieved. Events this summer surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool may provide one of the more memorable examples.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration launched a renovation project as part of a broader effort to prepare the nation’s capital for America’s 250th anniversary celebration. The work was intended to address longstanding problems that have plagued the iconic site for years.

The Reflecting Pool is no ordinary landmark. Dedicated in 1922, it stretches between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument on the National Mall. The area surrounding the pool has served as the backdrop for some of the most important moments in modern American history, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Yet despite its iconic status, the Reflecting Pool has long struggled with a decidedly unglamorous problem—fast growing algae.

The algae problem is hardly new. Following a renovation completed in 2012, the pool needed to be drained and cleaned almost immediately after reopening because algae quickly returned. The reason for these recurring problems is straightforward: a large, shallow body of barely moving water exposed to direct sunlight in the summer months provides ideal conditions for algae growth.

Unfortunately for the administration, history repeated itself. Shortly after the recent renovation was completed, algae once again appeared in the pool. Reports also surfaced that portions of the new blue surface coating had begun to peel. Unsurprisingly, the problems quickly attracted criticism.

Critics questioned the administration’s decision to award the renovation through a no-bid contract and raised concerns about the project’s cost. It was clear that the administration wanted the project completed for the historic July 4 festivities. For his part, the president’s insistence that vandals were responsible kept the story in the news. (Although criminal charges were initially filed against some suspects, including a former Olympian, the charges were subsequently dropped.)

Predictably, media coverage focused on President Trump and his largely unproven allegations about vandals. Yet amid the familiar political back-and-forth, another story emerged. More revealing than the algae—or even the president’s response—was the willingness of some critics to celebrate it.

For instance, in the days leading up to Independence Day, videos circulated online showing protesters gathered around the Reflecting Pool cheering on the algae. One woman was filmed encouraging it as though it were a political activist. “Everybody’s proud of you,” she said. Elsewhere, a protester dressed as an amphibian marched beside the pool carrying a “Team Algae” sign while chanting support for the growing bloom.

At one level, the scene was humorous. At another level, it was deeply revealing.

The reaction was not limited to a handful of protesters. Commentators quickly transformed the algae bloom into a metaphor for the Trump presidency itself. One New York Times writer declared that “the algae is a perfect metaphor to reflect on our unreflective president and his impulsive and solipsistic style of governing.” Similar commentary appeared elsewhere as the story became the latest vehicle for criticizing the administration.

To be clear, journalists are free to criticize public officials. But the eagerness with which some observers transformed an algae bloom into a grand political allegory reveals something about our current political moment. The algae was no longer simply algae. It had become another opportunity to reinforce a preexisting narrative about the president. At times, the president simply piled on with his own narrative.

The episode illustrates a broader temptation in American politics: allowing opposition for a political figure to become so consuming that it distorts one’s judgment. When that happens, people stop evaluating events on their own merits. Instead, they view everything through the lens of whether it helps or hurts their preferred political tribe. The result is that even algae can become a political ally.

Christians should recognize this temptation. Scripture warns against allowing our loves and loyalties to become disordered. When political animosity becomes the controlling passion of our hearts, it can cause us to celebrate developments we would otherwise regard as undesirable and oppose others we would otherwise recognize as good.

In theological terms, politics can become a form of idolatry. Rather than seeking justice, truth, and the common good, we become consumed with defeating our enemies. Our political opponents become the lens through which we interpret reality itself.

That is what makes the Reflecting Pool episode so instructive. The story is not really about algae—or even Donald Trump. It is about what happens when opposition becomes an identity. When that occurs, people can find themselves cheering for almost anything, including a patch of algae, so long as it embarrasses the right person.

The lesson extends far beyond the Reflecting Pool. Christians should resist the temptation to join Team Algae, whatever form it takes. (The Team Algae phenomenon can appear on both sides of America’s political divide.) Our political judgments should be guided by truth and principle, not reflexive hostility toward those with whom we disagree. After all, rooting for algae is a strange way to improve our country and build its future.