Tennessee Republican Representative Tim Burchett offered a simple solution for the Trump administration amid the disastrous Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, suggesting the pool should be given back to nature.
The renovation of the Reflecting Pool has become a debacle, marked by recurring algae blooms, workers resorting to pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water to combat the problem, and a political blame game in which some Republicans have attempted to pin responsibility for the mess on Democrats.
To make matters worse, paint has reportedly begun peeling from the floor of the Reflecting Pool. The New York Times linked the problem to a $14.7 million no-bid contract awarded to Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings under a claim of urgent need.
The company was hired to apply a blue waterproof coating to the pool's concrete floor, but the coating has since shown signs of deterioration, raising further questions about the emergency contracting process and the quality of the work performed.
When approached by a reporter with MeidasTouch, Burchett gave his opinion on what this could signal for the pool's future:
“It’s algae. It’s science. It’s just going to happen. It’ll be darker, of course. You’ve got a filtration system and you’re going to have to hit it with the chlorine … or bleach or whatever. I know they did peroxide, there’s other methods too.”
“But, you know, honestly, I think it would be cool if they just let it go and create an ecosystem. Have fish in there and everything and just let it go. I think it would be a cool way to go.”
Burchett then shifted the conversation to a swimming pool renovation at his home, recalling that it had been little more than a "frog pond" when he purchased the property. He said contractors initially quoted him about $80,000 for the project, but he ultimately completed the work himself for roughly $2,500.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
It's worth noting Trump has gone so far as to claim that "vandals" used "probably a box cutter or a knife of some kind" to make a "slit" in the pool's paint job, though he did not provide any proof to back this up.
Notably, after defending his administration's work on the Reflecting Pool, he said he "can't help it if somebody goes in with a knife and starts hacking it up." He claimed evidence would be presented "in court" and that reporters should simply reach out to the Parks Department to find out more.
After ABC News reported Monday that Trump continued to blame vandals for the peeling paint and other problems at the Reflecting Pool, while noting that he "provided no evidence of vandalism himself," he threatened to file a lawsuit against the network.
Considering how much Trump has doubled down, he likely won't care for Burchett's suggestion—and people have thoughts.
One thing seems perfectly clear: the Reflecting Pool does not have a bright future with the current lot of people in charge.
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