Green tint continues to plague D.C. Reflecting Pool after six suspects arrested

Six people have been arrested for vandalizing the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., according to a Monday statement from the Department of the Interior. President Donald Trump and the Interior Department said vandals cut a 300-foot gash and poured chemicals into the pool, causing algae to grow. Earlier this month, vandals also carved the numbers “86 47” into grass on the National Mall, a slang phrase many view as a threat to harm the president. In a Monday statement, Trump threatened to enforce 10-year prison sentences for perpetrators who damage or attempt to damage national monuments.

What happened with the renovations? The Reflecting Pool closed in April for a more than $14 million renovation to repaint the bottom “American flag blue,” and it reopened on June 8. Visitors soon reported peeling paint and algae growth causing a green tint and debris in the water. In the Truth Social post, Trump wrote the vandals’ pollution caused the algae, not the renovations, and said repairs would begin soon.

What does the pool look like now? I visited the pool Tuesday morning and saw a green tint caused by algae along the bottom, but couldn’t see any obvious signs of peeling paint or a 300-foot gash. National Guard troops and police patrolled the area, and a few maintenance workers used nets in the water, but repairs haven’t yet begun in earnest.