Trump announces arrests over Reflecting Pool ‘vandalism’, including a 67-year-old Olympic cyclist

What began as a patriotic facelift has curdled into a symbol of overreach and miscalculation. A no-bid contract, “American Flag Blue” paint, and a rush to impress before the 250th birthday left the Reflecting Pool chemically shocked and biologically primed to fail. When the algae bloomed and the paint began peeling in sheets, the narrative shifted from celebration to sabotage.