Dead duckling found in Reflecting Pool as Trump’s paint job falls apart and DOJ hunts for ‘vandals’
A duckling was found dead Sunday in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, marking the latest — and most tragic — twist in President Donald Trump’s troubled, $14.7 million renovation of the iconic Washington landmark.
Photos showed the poor creature floating in algae-fouled water after local U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro vowed to aggressively prosecute anyone caught vandalizing the popular attraction on the National Mall.
During an appearance on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing, Pirro — a former network host — said that “there are several citations that have been handed out to individuals. And these are cases that will be prosecuted to the full extent.
“And if you damage, vandalize or do anything to impact something like the Reflecting Pool, you can be prosecuted,” she added.
The cause of the duckling’s death was unclear, and neither the National Park Service nor the Interior Department immediately returned inquiries from The Independent.
Trump ordered that the Reflecting Pool be renovated ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebration on July 4 and took credit for selecting the “American flag blue” sealant for its basin.
But shortly after the project was completed on June 6, the pool’s blue bottom was obscured by slimy green algae, after which the sealant began peeling off.
Efforts to eliminate the algae included pouring extra-strength hydrogen peroxide, a type of bleach, into the water.
Workers in hip waders have also been skimming the aquatic, plant-like organism out of the water.
On Friday, Trump claimed without evidence that vandals were behind the failure of the sealant and he’s repeated that assertion throughout the weekend, saying Sunday that work would “begin immediately” to repair the “seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool.”
”I just inspected it, and could only say to myself, and those gathered around me, WOW, who would do such a thing? SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!” the president wrote on social media.
More to follow…
