'Holy s**t!!': American flag blue turning puke green, huge chunks of paint peeling—Trump's reflecting pool is already falling apart | WATCH
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Holy s**t!!': American flag blue turning puke green, huge chunks of paint peeling—Trump's reflecting pool is already falling apart | WATCH")
WATCH: Blue paint peels off Trump's 'American flag blue' reflecting pool Photograph: (AFP)
What was supposed to be a 100-year fix for Washington's iconic Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is already drawing ridicule. Just days after the completion of Donald Trump's $13.1 million renovation project, the pool's "American flag blue" coating has reportedly begun peeling off.
US President Donald Trump's controversial $13.1 million vanity project - the overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has taken a turn for the worse. The project, which Trump spent months bragging would reflect a specifically chosen shade of "American flag blue" for 100 years, has already turned green with algae, not even 24 hours after the project was completed. Not just that, already the blue coating has started coming off, with visitors now snagging pieces to take home as souvenirs.
'American flag blue' turns puke green
Trump had championed the project for months, arguing that the pool's traditional grey appearance should be replaced with what he described as an "American flag blue" finish. The coating was also intended to serve as a long-term sealant for the historic structure, which officials say loses millions of gallons of water annually through leaks.
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However, now, visitors to the National Mall are reportedly finding large sheets of the blue coating floating on the surface of the water. According to HuffPost, some tourists have even begun collecting the material as souvenirs. The reports stand in contrast to Trump's earlier claims about the durability of the project.
"This was highly sophisticated material, industrial strength, that could last for 100 years," Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this month while praising the contractor and the quality of the coating.
Project cost American taxpayers seven times the original cost
The renovation has also drawn attention because of its cost. Trump initially suggested the work would cost around $1.8 million. However, federal records later showed that the Virginia-based contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, received a $13.1 million contract.
Documents obtained by The New York Times reportedly showed the company charging a profit margin of about 20 per cent, significantly higher than the 6 to 12 per cent typically seen in comparable federal construction projects.
The contract has faced additional scrutiny because federal officials approved it without seeking competing bids. Trump further complicated matters by offering conflicting explanations about how the contractor was selected.
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In April, he told reporters he had chosen the company because it had worked on a swimming pool at one of his golf clubs in Virginia. Later, he denied any involvement in the selection process, saying the Interior Department awarded the contract to a company he had never worked with.
Meanwhile, federal workers continue efforts to tackle the algae outbreak that emerged shortly after the pool was refilled. Crews have been vacuuming algae from the bottom of the pool and deploying hydrogen peroxide and ozone-based treatment systems to improve water quality.
