The algae-infested Lincoln Pool in Washington DC has been drained and it appears that the base of the pool, far from being the vivid blue color that Trump touted, now appears to nowhere close to that, being instead a blotchy gray color. Trump appears to be sensitive to how bad the pool looks and so a dark fence now surrounds it to prevent people from getting a close look at the disaster. But a photographer for the Associated Press got an aerial shot from the top of the Washington Monument. Follow the above link to see how awful it looks.

The newly drained Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool’s bottom surface has noticeably faded since it was lined with a protective coating in a color Donald Trump called “American flag blue” this spring.

An Associated Press reporter and photographer viewed the fenced-off reflecting pool on Wednesday from the top of the Washington Monument. The new liner appears grayer than when the pool was repainted and refilled with water in early June. Debris that had been visible earlier this week after the pool was drained is now largely gone, after work crews removed it.
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The interior secretary, Doug Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park Service, said that after the water is drained and debris is cleaned from Independence Day fireworks, the plan for the pool is straightforward: “Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.” He was speaking with conservative podcaster Katie Miller.

But why did the blue color fade to gray so fast? Does this mean that a new coat of paint will have to be laid? And what guarantee is there that it too will not peel off and that the algae will not return? The idea that the old paint liner was attacked by vandals is being pursued by Trump but is being ridiculed as an attempt to cover up a totally botched job.

The Lincoln Pool cannot be treated as if it were just like a swimming pool but only larger. I suspect that there are some basic problems with the whole idea of painting a massive open-air area like that that is going to be underwater. If they had just left the concrete base as it was, they would only have to find a way to prevent algae from growing, which should be doable, since it did not seem to be a problem before. But add the paint and you have two problems that must be dealt wit simultaneously.

The pool, the so-called Great American State Fair, and the changes to the White House, reveal the Trump administration in all its woeful incompetence: Think up some vanity project that is just for show, do a rushed and shoddy job, cover it up with a coat of paint and gilt lettering, and then blame others when it all falls apart.

It is hardly surprising that if Trump cannot carry out relatively simple things like these, that he would utterly mess up major things like the conflict with Iran. There too he, urged by Netanyahu, rushed into war without any seeming plan other than the hope that killing their leaders and bombing them repeatedly would cause them to surrender and allow him to rule over them. When that did not happen, he seems to be at a loss as to what to do, now oscillating between bombing and talks.

The miserable State Fair thankfully ended on July 10th. (I had no idea that it continued after the 4th.) The Lincoln Pool problem is likely to be with us for a long time. While bad, it basically only costs money. The Iran war is also likely to be very lengthy but the costs in terms of human suffering and global economic impact is massive.

All evidence that Trump is the anti-Midas.