'Our president is insane': Critics ridicule Trump's rant on 'criminally made algae'

Political analysts and observers ridiculed President Donald Trump's rant on Sunday about the supposedly "criminally made algae" in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Trump has faced significant criticism over the last couple of weeks because of the state of the reflecting pool. The administration undertook a more than $16 million renovation project on the grounds that the pool had never been properly repaired by previous administrations. But the new pool bottom began peeling, and the algae Trump had promised to eliminate returned.

The president began blaming "vandals" for the pool's condition. The administration has arrested at least five people for allegedly vandalizing the pool, although none of them have been convicted of committing any crimes.

Trump continued blaming the vandals in a new Truth Social rant on Sunday.

"The Reflecting Pool is now in full use after suffering great damage from Criminal, Radical Left Vandals, people that truly hate our Country. They cut the lower surface of a very expensive and strong waterproof padding, in the color of American Flag Blue, and put their hands underneath the surface, and ripped it," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"Likewise, they cut and butchered a 350-foot-long strip, with many 1 and 2-foot individual cuts, creating great damage to this beautiful piece of art that was, last week, 100% free of leaks, and any of the other problems it has had since its building in 1922," he added. "It never worked properly until last week, and right after July 4th, when we will drain the water to treat the damage caused by these 'animals,' it will again be in perfect shape. In the meantime, it is working well, the criminally made algae is gone, and the grass, which was destroyed, is being replaced shortly."

Critics of the president reacted to his rant on social media.

"Our president is insane," Jennifer Erin Valent, an award-winning author, posted on X.

"Note: There has been an algae problem in the reflecting pool since it was built. About a century ago," David Rothkopf, global affairs columnist for The Daily Beast, posted on Bluesky.

"Another Trump friend getting taxpayer funds. The corruption and swamp continue to grow," Vince Wilson, a liberal political commentator, posted on X.