Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) leveled sharp criticism at the Trump administration on Tuesday, accusing it of turning the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool into a 'swamp' amid a cascade of maintenance failures and environmental issues at the iconic site.
In a video clip posted to social media, Ocasio-Cortez responded to a question from journalist Pablo Manríquez about the pool's condition. 'I mean, when you defund science research … when you don't really understand the first thing about science,' she said, before adding, 'Yeah, they talked a bunch of smack, they said that they had to repaint the pool, and now they've turned the place into a swamp. They turned it to an actual swamp.'
The remarks come after the Trump administration completed renovations to the Reflecting Pool, which included repainting its base a shade of blue to match the American flag. However, sections of the paint began peeling off shortly after the project finished, and the pool's water turned green due to an algae bloom. The National Park Service has since been using hydrogen peroxide and other methods to combat the algae.
Adding to the controversy, two dead ducks were recently found near the pool, following a previous discovery of a bird carcass floating in the water. President Trump over the weekend alleged vandalism at the site, leading to the arrest of five individuals. The Interior Department also erected fencing around the area on Tuesday.
The incident has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over the Trump administration's approach to science and environmental management. Ocasio-Cortez's comments echo her party's criticism of the administration's funding cuts to scientific research and its skepticism of climate science. The pool's algae problem, she suggested, is a tangible consequence of those policies.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers pushed back, saying in an email, 'As usual, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has no idea what she is talking about.' The administration has defended its handling of the Reflecting Pool, with Trump detailing a vandalism theory that he says explains the damage. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with those reports, though details remain scarce.
The episode is the latest in a series of clashes between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers over environmental and infrastructure issues. The National Park Service, which oversees the Reflecting Pool, has faced budget constraints and staffing shortages under the Trump era, compounding maintenance challenges at national monuments.
Ocasio-Cortez's criticism also taps into a long-running political battle over the administration's record on climate and science. She has been a vocal advocate for the Green New Deal and has repeatedly called out what she sees as the Trump team's disregard for scientific expertise. The Reflecting Pool saga, she argued, is a microcosm of that larger failure.
As the algae cleanup continues, the pool remains fenced off, and the National Park Service has not provided a timeline for when it will be fully restored. The controversy is likely to persist as a symbol of the administration's environmental stewardship, with both sides digging in for more political sparring.
