--- title: "Trump’s Reflecting Pool Is No Match for the AlgaeBTQ Agenda" description: "Like the Narcissus from ancient Greek mythology, president Donald Trump has been peering into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to look at his own reflection — or at least his looming legacy. But unlike the mythical hunter, Trump did not…" date: "2026-06-24" modified: "2026-06-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/trump-reflecting-pool-algaebtq-agenda" categories: - "Environment" - "Future Society" - "Science & Energy" --- # Trump’s Reflecting Pool Is No Match for the AlgaeBTQ Agenda ![A National Guard soldier in camouflage uniform stands near a body of water with ducks swimming. An inset shows a close-up of a blue hose discharging yellow-green liquid into a metal grate surrounded by grass.]() *Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images; Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images* Like the Narcissus from ancient Greek mythology, president Donald Trump has been peering into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to look at his own reflection — or at least his looming legacy. But unlike the mythical hunter, Trump did not like what he saw. Unless you've been living under a rock, Trump has been going to extreme lengths to turn the 2,000-by-600-foot body of water into a crystal clear pool fit for Mar-a-Lago. He spent a [whopping $14.7 million]() on a no-bid contract with a Virginia-based company — which coincidentally had existing business ties to the president — to seal the pool's concrete slabs with an "American flag blue" sealant in early June. But after the procedure, algae quickly turned the monument into a swamp, and Trump had to once again pull out the taxpayers' wallet, spending $1.7 million to install "nanobubblers" that emit ozone intended to kill algae and bacteria, while National Park Service workers [dumped in gallons of chemicals](), including hydrogen peroxide. Yet Mother Nature was once again no match for the "AlgaeBTQ" agenda, a [colorful expression that appeared on signs]() at Pride Month celebrations, digging fun at Trump's [extremely regressive stance]() on LGBTQ+ civil rights. The pesky green organisms once again returned to the waters, with [aerial photographs]() showing workers using what appear to be pool skimmer nets fishing out the unwanted growth over the weekend. In short, the whole situation sounds an awful lot like a metaphor for the current state of Trump's presidency. "He has a contrary of the Midas touch, which is everything he touches becomes crap," local tour guide José Lebron [told *The Guardian*](). In yet another embarrassing setback, the expensive sealant coating has since [started peeling away]() from the bottom of the pool, infuriating Trump. Over the weekend, the president claimed without evidence that vandals had sliced open the sealant "probably in the dark of night," saying that six "sharp knife or razor"-wielding people had been arrested. However, as the [*New York Times* reports](), internal records don't offer any credence to his comments. Even the nanobubblers failed to keep the algae blooms at bay, according to the records — a [turquoise-colored bruise]() and PR disaster casting a major shadow over planned celebrations for the United States' 250th birthday just over a week from now. **More on Trump:** [*White House Pushes Back Against Claim That Trump Was Given Early Access to a Powerful Experimental Weight Loss Drug*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()