The Reflecting Pool story is basically: it was recently renovated, then refilled, and quickly turned green from algae; after that, sections of the new blue paint started peeling and floating. At the same time, President Trump claimed vandalism caused the damage, while news reports said investigators/arrests were tied to alleged tampering and workers kept trying to fix the pool.

What happened

  • The pool was renovated and refilled in early June.
  • Soon after, the water turned bright green from algae, which experts said is not surprising in a shallow summer pool.
  • Crews tried treatments like hydrogen peroxide and vacuuming, but the green tint persisted for days.
  • Paint began peeling or flaking off the newly treated surface, adding to the mess.

Why it became a story

  • Trump said vandals caused a long cut or “slit” and may have used chemicals or fertilizer in the water.
  • News coverage says at least five people were arrested and others cited in connection with alleged tampering.
  • The pool became a bigger online joke because the expensive cleanup deteriorated so quickly.

Most likely explanation

The immediate green color appears to be algae, not something unusual or mysterious, and the peeling paint seems tied to the recent renovation work. The vandalism claims are part of the public dispute around the pool, but the basic visible problem is still algae plus failing paint.

TL;DR

The Reflecting Pool was renovated, refilled, and then rapidly turned green with algae while the new paint started peeling; Trump blamed vandals, and reports say arrests were made over alleged tampering.