Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) thinks the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool should just be left to nature.
The pool has been plagued by algae and paint issues just days after the completion of Donald Trump’s $14 million renovation. The president had hailed the project as a picture-perfect restoration and has claimed — without offering a single-celled microalgae of evidence — that vandals are to blame.
“It’s algae. It’s science. It’s just going to happen,” he replied.
“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 pivoted to talking about how he renovated the pool, which had essentially been “just a frog pond,” when he bought his house. He said he was quoted $80,000 for the job but ended up doing the work himself for about $2,500.