Manipulated image of Washington Reflecting Pool spreads online
- Published on June 26, 2026 at 22:45
- 3 min read
- By AFP USA
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington has been blighted with algae and peeling paint since the completion of costly renovations. But while security measures have increased amid the Trump administration's investigations into alleged vandalism, an image purporting to show the National Mall hotspot surrounded by tarp-covered fencing is altered.
"They fenced in the Reflecting Pool and now put a tarp on it," says a June 23, 2026 Facebook post, which shows people posing in front of a long fence covered in blue tarp.
The image spread widely across platforms as the saga surrounding the newly renovated basin drew attention from tourists and locals alike. One Facebook post with thousands of interactions called the landmark "the Deflection Pool."
Partial fencing has been up on occasions along the Reflecting Pool in preparation for Fourth of July celebrations on the National Mall (archived here).
But the image of the fence wrapped in blue tarp is altered.
Keyword searches led to a June 23 YouTube livestream of the Reflecting Pool from MS NOW -- formerly MSNBC -- that at one point showed the exact angle and people from the altered image, identifiable by their pink umbrella (archived here).
Snippets of the livestream had circulated across platforms that day as viewers reacted to chain-link fences erected around a segment of the pool (archived here and here).
An AFP journalist visited the site on June 26 and confirmed there was no blue tarp.
Instead, they observed only fencing surrounding the pool, with signs that read: "Coming to you on July 4th" and "DANGER EXPLOSIVES. Authorized personnel only."
A National Guard member on site told AFP the fencing was up as a security measure ahead of the American Independence Day fireworks.
Stepped-up surveillance
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed "vandals" sliced "a 300-foot slit" in the bottom of the pool.
He has also asserted without evidence that someone dumped fertilizer in the water, despite the increased presence of US Park Police and the National Guard.
The Interior Department told journalists June 25 that seven arrests, seven federal citations and 18 police reports have been filed but did not specify for what charges.
However, Wayne Carmichael, biological sciences professor emeritus at Wright State University, told AFP on June 25 (archived here): "Deliberate dumping of fertilizer, at the scale needed -- and without being detected -- is virtually impossible."
The algae bloom likely originated with a mix of factors, including piping and filtration issues as well as nutrient-rich waters -- problems that predated the refurbishment, experts say.
"The current attempt to beautify the pool did not attempt to prevent or even fix those conditions," Carmichael said. "They only made it worse. At this time, the only long-term solution is a rebuild of the pool and its filtration/chemical treatment system."
AFP has debunked additional misinformation about the National Mall landmark here.
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