Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Algae Bloom Fuels Viral Memes After Multimillion-Dollar Refurbishment
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Jun 27
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Algae Bloom Fuels Viral Memes After Multimillion-Dollar Refurbishment
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Jun 27
Summary
Days after a multimillion-dollar refurbishment, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turned vivid green from an algae bloom, shifting attention from the cleanup effort to a fast-growing meme wave.
Internal records appear to undercut President Donald Trump’s claim that vandalism caused the discoloration, even as authorities say six people have been arrested in connection with the site.
Posts recast the pool as a Star Wars trash compactor, a Bob Ross painting and a Super Mario scene, while jokes also targeted officials including Marco Rubio and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Some of the most-shared posts drew wide engagement, including a Rubio “pool service” meme with more than 300,000 views and a Derek Guy post topping 800,000 views.
The online mockery has broadened the fallout from a local maintenance problem into a national embarrassment for a high-profile Washington beautification project.