'Bad Day to Be a Duck': Trump Reflecting Pool Disaster Continues With Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment

[yellow dahlia]

“Is this what happens when you have zero scientists in your administration?” said one critic.

Common Dreams
Brad Reed
Jun 16, 2026

The pool in recent days has turned a bright green due to algae growth, which threatened to spoil Trump’s effort to make it appear “American flag blue” ahead of the celebrations of the country’s 250th anniversary next month.

As noted by The New Republic, 12% hydrogen peroxide is strong enough to “cause problems if inhaled and burns if the chemical touches the skin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

“Hydrogen peroxide is generally considered less environmentally destructive as its compounds readily break down in water,” The New Republic added, “but the high concentration could nonetheless pose a risk to some of the pool’s frequent visitors, such as ducks or other birds.”

SNIP/

NOTUS reporter Igor Bobic, upon seeing the chemical being dumped into the pool, remarked it was a “bad day to be a duck.”

SNIP/

Here is a link to the full article. https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-bleach-reflecting-pool

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Gee - even the ducks and birds aren't safe, in the DJT whirlwind of destruction.

[orthoclad]

1. Toxic is as toxic does

Bear in mind, this isn't a swimming pool, it's a side-pool of a river, and the algae are loving this sunny, warm, nutrient rich oxbow.

Wait until the population overshoots the nutrients and algae starts to die.

[mr715]

2. Pungent?

[Norrrm]

3. "... Trump is an expert builder who has fixed the Reflecting Pool for good..."

Last edited Wed Jun 17, 2026, 10:51 AM - Edit history (1)

“President Donald J. Trump is an expert builder who has fixed the Reflecting Pool for good unlike the failed and extremely costly attempt by Obama and Biden,” she added.
..................... "for good"

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/10/politics/algae-reflecting-pool-trump

Wouldn't an 'expert builder' know to clean out stagnant pipes before use?

Wouldn't an 'expert builder' know not to use a color that encourages algae growth?

[Wounded Bear]

4. Just like his "largest crowds ever" claims...

[yellow dahlia]

10. An eight year old child would know to clean out stagnant pipes.

[yellowcanine]

17. Eh, probably not the pipes. Algae is everywhere and

the conditions were perfect for it to grow - warm, still water and a dark background. Anyone who has ever had a pond could have told them this.

[xuplate]

5. No ducks were harmed during this procedure said no one involved in this project ever.

Only Trump could pull off a 3-D clusterf**k this bad.

[yellow dahlia]

11. I think it was Biden's fault.

[Ford_Prefect]

6. Everything he touches dies...

[FHRRK1]

7. OK I hate to be that guy, but....

Wouldn't ducks ingesting Hydrogen Peroxide either be puking in the pond or have loose shit all over the pond?

[Figarosmom]

8. I was wondering about that 🤔

[BurnDoubt]

9. He told us he was a "Stable Genius"...

over the buzz of all those flies.
Smarter than everybody.

[Hugin]

12. Pouring in half of what makes a rocket fuel in the reflecting pool

What could go wrong.

Pathetic.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Sorry, But That's Flat Wrong

The half of rocket fuel is pretty much PURE hydrogen peroxide, not a 12% solution.
This stuff is only abou 4x the concentration of the stuff we can buy at the pharmacy.
I've worked with 70% peroxide and that would barely facilitate an effective rocket fuel.
The stuff used in rocket fuel can't even be purchased without a license.
You or I could buy 12% online from a dozen vendors. Even with my background, I couldn't buy 90 or 100% peroxide.

[Hugin]

15. Pouring what you admit is diluted rocket fuel is not "flat wrong".

Sorry you don’t do nuance.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Yes It Is

You have both an issue with nuance & scientific knowledge.
Once tge peroxide is diluted to 12&, it is not rocket fuel.
Arguing chemistry with a PhD chemist is folly.

[Hugin]

19. Indeed arguing with a PhD...

Who has 30+ years working with… rockets. Is folly.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. While 12% H2O2 Is Nothing To Take Lightly...

...those commenting obviously don't understand what dilution is.
The miniscule amount of Albone 12 they are putting in that huge volume of water doesn't put the ducks at any risk, especially given the water temperature and the exposure to the uV in sunlight.
I've worked extensively with 50 & 70% peroxide & that stuff breaks down at room temperature so we had to keep it refrigerated. While starting at 12% slows the rate of decay, it's still warm and exposed to sunlight. The waterfowl will be just fine.
I'm all for making fun of this idiot-fest called the administration, but peroxide in water isn't an issue.
The fact that it's needed at all is the part we should be ridiculing.

[BruceWane]

16. Obviously, these people are idiots. It's really just a giant swimming pool, and......

Pool owner here...... Anyone who has maintained a pool knows that algae is a constant fight - you don't just get rid of it, it is not a "once a done" thing.

Organic material is constantly being deposited in the pool. It literally falls out of the sky - dirt, pollen, leaves/pine needles, dead bugs, bird poop. And of course, algae spores. Organic material feeds the algae.

So you constantly maintain a level of sanitizer, usually chlorine. Chlorine depletes over time, so you are constantly adding it. You also have to maintain pH. Adding chlorine causes pH to rise, so you are constantly adding muriatic acid to bring it back down. Rain lowers pH, but it's rare to get enough rain to make any significant difference.

I have a typical residential kidney shaped pool, 20K gallons. Not a big pool, about 35'x15'. It uses 2-3 gallons of 10% chlorine and 16-24 ounces of muriatic acid per week.

So to keep a pool clean and clear, you need circulation, filtration, and chemical balance. Constantly maintained.

From what I understand, the DC reflection pool has a very poor circulation system. Reports say that fixing it requires ripping a lot of the structure out to install necessary plumbing. This makes sense - if I needed to add additional drains and/or jets to my pool, it would be a major renovation. Busting up concrete, complete new plaster, etc.

Changing the color to a dark blue does cause it to retain more heat, but truthfully I think this is a marginal problem - I guarantee that the water temperature in my bright white pool on the gulf coast is a usually fair bit higher than the DC reflection pool, even with its new dark color. The stupid thing about painting the reflection pool any color at all is the fact that a proper repair calls for ripping out the bottom of the thing first, then installing adequate plumbing, pumps, filtration, and equipment to help monitor and maintain chemical balance. Then rebuild the pool structure, and include any desired color in the plaster itself. In all my experience of pool ownership, any coating applied on top of existing plaster will fail pretty quickly. Painting/coating pool plaster is nothing but a cheap/quick fix that is usually done ahead of selling the property, never lasts more than a few years. Maybe they used some kind of new high tech coating that I've never heard of, but I doubt it. If such a thing existed, the pool renovation companies that are constantly sending me ads would be pushing it. But anyway, it makes sense that a real estate swindler like Trump would think painting a pool was a great idea.

And then, when you finally refill the pool, you plan for chemical balance. All by itself, the fact that they now have a bunch of guys pouring hundreds - if not thousands - of gallons of H2O2 into the refection pool by hand, from single gallon containers, shows that these people have no idea what the f^@k they're doing. And they have no clue that this stuff has to managed constantly.

[Beartracks]

20. Golly, I'm starting to thing the Trump administration has no clue how to do anything right.

And that goes for the first time around, too. From pandemic response to a simple paint job, incompetence all around.

================

[yellow dahlia]

21. Truth