How Trump Turned a Botched Pool Job Into A National Scandal

A convicted felon named JJ Cafaro, who runs a company called Greenwater Services, was awarded a no-bid $1.7 million contract to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool "American flag blue." It ballooned to $16 million, took months instead of a week, the paint is peeling off the bottom, and the water turned bright green with algae.

Trump's response was to blame vandals, threaten 10-year prison sentences, deploy the National Guard and ICE to one of America's most famous national monuments, and arrest a Swedish journalist and a US Olympic kayaker for reaching into the water, which is legal.

The company that makes the paint used on the pool released a statement confirming the peeling is a product issue. A George Mason biologist tested the water and found the algae is just regular algae growth, possibly made worse because the dark blue paint is heating the water. There is no evidence of vandalism. None has been provided.

Meanwhile, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, the moment peace talks resumed, then opened it back up, proving exactly what critics said would happen once Iran gained joint control. A new CBS poll finds 69% of Americans don't think the Iran war was worth it. Trump threatened to kidnap Iranian negotiators on Fox News. And no one can explain what happened at Camp David over Father's Day weekend, where the only photo released was of a woman who is not one of Trump's daughters, captioned "great daughter."

Rate and review wherever you listen. Share this with one person who needs it.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 The reflecting pool is green, the paint is peeling, and Trump says it's vandalism

2:00 The no-bid contract: a convicted felon, a company called Greenwater Services, and $16 million

4:30 Trump says the pool was cut open with a knife 350 feet long. Reporters went looking. It's not there.

6:00 The paint company's own statement and why Pipeliner 5000 was probably the wrong product for this job

7:30 The George Mason biologist, the algae test, and why the blue paint may be making it worse

8:30 National Guard, ICE, and 10-year prison threats: how a bad paint job became an authoritarian moment

9:30 A Swedish journalist and a US Olympic kayaker arrested for reaching into the water, which is legal

11:00 SaySo News App Ad

12:30 Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz the moment peace talks resume — then opens it back up

14:00 Vance in Europe: what he said about the nuclear program and why it only gets us back to zero

15:30 Trump on Fox News: "You won't even make it back to your country" — threatening to kidnap Iranian negotiators

17:00 The new CBS poll: 69% say the war wasn't worth it, one in five think the deal is good for the US

18:30 Trump's very strange Father's Day weekend at Camp David — and the photo of a woman who isn't his daughter

PROMO CODES: 

This episode is sponsored by SaySo. SaySo is a brand new news app built for people who actually want to be informed, not just keep scrolling. No outrage-chasing algorithm, no AI slop, just vetted creators delivering fact-driven coverage you can get through in a few minutes a day. I'm one of the early creators on the platform, posting there alongside others I trust. Check it out and download SaySo