The newly renovated 2,028-foot
basin, costing over $14 million for America's 250th anniversary, turned green
from algae and showed peeling in its 'American Flag Blue' liner.
Trump blamed sabotage, including a
250-foot gash and corrosive chemicals, leading to at least five arrests and
citations, among them 67-year-old Olympian canoeist David Hearn who denied
causing harm.
While the National Park Service used hydrogen peroxide against algae—which can degrade coatings—experts note such blooms are common in the shallow pool, and satirical 'Team Algae' protesters mocked the cleanup in frog costumes.