PremiumAnalysisAnalysis byKaren TumultyWashington Post·24 Jun, 2026 02:12 AM7 mins to readKaren Tumulty is The Washington Post’s chief political correspondent.Algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following the completion of renovations on June 14, 2026. Photo / Getty Images via AFPThe National Mall’s algae-plagued Reflecting Pool has indeed become a reflection – of Donald Trump’s priorities, his impulses and his assertion of authority and power in his second term.When the going gets rough in politics, mishap becomes metaphor.
Rarely has that been truer than with US President Donald Trump’s
