The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has drawn nationwide attention after an algae bloom turned its waters a vivid green within days of President Donald Trump’s multi-million-dollar refurbishment, casting a shadow over a project intended to beautify the city.
Trump has attributed the discoloration and other problems at the basin to acts of vandalism, and authorities say six people have been arrested in connection to the site. Internal records, however, appear to undermine the president’s narrative.
As officials work to restore clarity, the episode has taken on a life of its own online.
The pool’s unexpected color change sparked a wave of viral memes, with social media users recasting the iconic landmark as everything from a swampy Star Wars set to a Bob Ross landscape.
Some also seized the moment to poke fun at administration officials, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his peculiar health regimen. Here is a look at some of the best floating around on social media:
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, a New Mexico Democrat, shared a clip Wednesday depicting a Super Mario character swimming beneath the algae-filled pool, captioning it: “I don’t know who did this—but it wins the internet.”
“And, it may explain what’s happening at the Reflecting Pool,” she added.
Another X user posted a meme of Tony Soprano, the main character from the hit HBO drama The Sopranos, wading into the basin alongside a flock of ducks.
“Tony would have saved the ducks and ‘taken care of business.’”
“Just sayin,” the caption read. It appeared to be a nod to reports that dead ducks were found near the pool after it was treated with hydrogen peroxide to curb the algae.
Days earlier, the same account posted a meme depicting Secretary of State Marco Rubio kayaking through the murky water, the Washington Monument rising in the background.
“Guess who’s in charge of assessing the algae,” the user wrote.
Rubio, a former Florida senator, has become a frequent target of memes highlighting his expanding portfolio in the Trump administration. In addition to leading the State Department, he is also serving as Trump’s national security adviser.
David Pollack, a One America News Network host, shared another meme of Rubio, this time depicting him as a pool boy, complete with a “pool service” t-shirt and strainer. The post garnered over 300,000 views.
The Secretary of State wasn’t the only Trump administration official featured in the wave of Reflecting Pool jokes.
On June 17, an X user posted an image of Kennedy, the Health and Human Services secretary, standing beside the basin and drinking a glass of algae-filled water. “Very nutritious,” the caption read.
The post seemed to mock the secretary’s unorthodox health habits, including his reported reliance on sauerkraut for weight loss and his advocacy for raw milk.
One of the world’s most popular film franchises, Star Wars, also got swept into the meme frenzy.
On June 24, an X user shared a recreation of a scene from Star Wars: Episode IV, in which the main characters are trapped in a soggy trash compactor. In the meme version, they are wading through the green Reflecting Pool, with one character exclaiming, “Something just moved past my leg!”
Other social media users took a more surreal approach. One X account posted an edited clip of art instructor Bob Ross dabbing globs of green paint onto a painting of the Reflecting Pool.
“WTF! arrest Bob Ross now,” the caption stated. “He vandalized the Reflecting Pool!”
Derek Guy, a men’s fashion expert known for skewering Trump officials’ sartorial choices, joined in on the fun as well. On June 15, he shared an image of the pool’s green water alongside a photo of a suit that matched its color.
“Five Summer Outfits That Will Make You Look Like A Sexy Little Reflecting Pool,” he wrote. The post drew over 800,000 views.
