Ana Kasparian — WILD Reflecting Pool Scandal TORMENTS White House

Well, I'm not a scientist, so the algae thing, I mean, I believe that's what happens in bodies of water such as this. So, I don't think this is President Trump's fault. But, what's so irritating to me about the left here? President Trump is trying to make DC nicer. DC is filled with Democrats, okay? He's making it nicer because, yes, he happens to live there for the next couple of years. But, you all live there all the time because DC is made up primarily of liberals and Democrats, right? He's trying to make it nicer for you. He's trying to make it safer [laughter] for you. He's trying to make your reflecting pool nicer. He's trying to spruce up the place. And, they go out of their way to damage and to vandalize it. >> Yeah, but it is his fault. >> Oh my [laughter] god, that's so >> The Democrats didn't do it. You could say they live there, but Trump did it. So, that's his, of course, grand renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, turning it into an algae-filled mess. >> You know, not not everything is a partisan battle. Sometimes, you have a corrupt president who offers no-bid contracts to his donors, and they mess up a project like this. That's exactly what happened here. And, Jake, you know, you saw the image there. Looks a little green. Looks a little green, and it turns out that there is a major problem with algae in the reflecting pool. Green algae is visible in the in the reflecting pool, and um everyone seems to have interviewed the same swimming pool specialist. He's known as Swimming Pool Steve. And, he told NPR that what you're seeing is called New Pond Syndrome. We can put that graphic up. He says it's a known thing that happens when you take a natural, clear body of water like this that sits in an open-air environment, and then you try to start it up, like move the water, which obviously had to be done in order to do other renovations to the reflecting pool. You often end up with green water almost immediately. And so, the Trump administration has been trying to fight the green algae while simultaneously touting the beauty of the reflecting pool renovations. So, the Interior Department said it was using an advanced nano bubbler technology to kill algae, which the National Park Service is then vacuuming up. Workers and contractors have been waiting through the pool for days cleaning algae and have also been seen pouring hydrogen peroxide bleach into the pool to attempt to clean it. Now, remember the hydrogen peroxide part because that's going to come in handy in a bit. Now, this is a common form form of algae, but resurfacing the pool is definitely a contributing factor to this algae bloom. The new darker interior surface is going to absorb more sunlight. It is going to result in water that's warmer and that ultimately is going to lead to more prolific algae growth. Now, in order to do this, you would want, you know, professionals to do the renovations, experts in this field. The contractors >> just swimming pool Steve. >> I mean, he would have been a better option to be honest with you. >> No question he would have. >> But I don't know if he was a major donor to Trump, so >> Oh, that's the problem. >> But we'll get to that. We'll get to that. Hold. Hold. Now, the second issue is the peeling paint. Um Turns out that pouring chemicals like hydrogen peroxide and bleach to kill the algae is going to harm the paint. So, first the new paint job appeared uneven. Then large chunks of coating are peeling off the basin creating islands of American flag blue alongside patches of pea green in a dark murky soup as the New York Times described it. Now, why would that happen? Hydrogen peroxide can also be used as a paint remover. >> Oops. >> And we have some video. Keep Keep my mic up, so and I'll I'll talk about it a little bit cuz this is the peeling paint. It's just kind of floating uh in the water. And you know, there have been some people who have videoed it or have taken, you know, huge um parts of the peeling paint out of the water. And I guess Trump is really upset about that. Oh, by the way, uh there's also dead ducks, uh baby ducks. >> No, Jesus Christ. >> Um so, there's an image of that. It's heartbreaking. Uh but, you know, there's a ton of chemicals in the water, so that's You guys blurred it? That's hilarious. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, I'm but I'm kind of glad they did. But anyways, uh but obviously that's the Democrats' fault for living in DC. >> It was totally the Democrats' fault. Okay. So, um and I should note, it's unclear how the duckling died, but there's chemicals in the water. So, I think you can deduce that it was the chemicals in the water, right? Okay. >> No, I meant the Democrats are strangling them. >> Well, look, to be fair to Trump, he's not blaming the Democrats per se. Uh he is blaming vandals. >> Oh. >> People have been vandalizing the reflecting pool, according to Trump. Okay, so on Saturday >> terrorists. I've heard of them. >> obviously. It's a real problem here in the States. >> Anti-pooler. >> Uh you tried, you tried. >> Something. >> Yeah. All [snorts] right, that's fine. Okay, on Saturday, he wrote the following on Truth Social. "Many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful vandalism of our beautiful reflecting pool. They took some form of knife or blade and put a 250-ft long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, confidence, and money to build and complete." Yes, lots of confidence. Um now, the reflecting pool, he says, "was never so beautiful as it was just 1 week ago, even going back to 1922 when it opened." So, he was touting his renovations. They've been disastrous. Um now, remember, it's a paint coating um in the reflecting pool, not a plastic liner like a normal pool lining would be. Um and according to the administration, five people have actually been arrested. So, uh this he has passed the blame onto ordinary people. He's accusing ordinary people of damaging the pool, of vandalizing the pool. There's no evidence of that. Um so, among those accused of vandalism was David Carter Hearn uh Hearn, a cyclist and three-time Olympian as a canoeist who says he stopped at the site on Friday just to have a look, then reached down to touch a strip of peeling blue paint mixed with algae. So, he was arrested and accused of destroying government property. And guess what? That is the type of crime that could get you a 10-year prison sentence. >> Oh my god. What's this brother's name? >> Uh his >> David Carter Hearn? >> Yes. Yeah. >> Free David Carter Hearn. We should do shirts on shoptyt.com. No, but you're going to put this brother in jail. >> I mean, they have to prove it. And I doubt that he actually vandalized the pool. >> Come on, man. >> That's crazy. But the fact that he's even been arrested is absurd. And by the way, National Guard are literally guarding the reflecting pool right now. >> He's such a disaster. >> He's such a disaster. >> Yeah. I mean, first of all, who puts incompetence in that description that Trump did? >> Someone who knows he's an incompetent incompetent. >> Like when it's the riddled with incompetence, you're like, "Remember, this reflecting pool was built with competence." Was it? Uh you probably don't have to say that if it was, cuz then it wouldn't be an issue. No one would be talking about the reflecting pool. Let's just go over a couple things here before we get to the guy who looks like a mafioso who actually got this contract. Okay, I'm not saying he is. Okay? >> He just looks like it. >> Yeah. Um so, did we have to do something about the reflecting pool? Cuz every time I went to DC, the reflecting pool was totally fine. I I never saw any issues with it until Trump gets in and he's like, "I'm going to DESTROY IT AND SHRED IT." AND THEN, "OH, LOOK, I FILLED IT WITH ALGAE. And you see how it's so much better than before?" No, I literally see the exact opposite. And [snorts] there's something about Trump that he's like a Liberace 2.0. He's like, I need the best ballroom and the best reflecting pool and I need my name splashed all over the Kennedy Center. I want everyone to know how fabulous I am. >> made him do it. It's the Democrats' [laughter] fault. >> The Democrats made you care about nothing but like theatrics and and and how things look? I think that one's on your brother. >> So, let's talk about the contracts, the no-bid contracts that were given out to Trump's donors. They're the people who are responsible for this and I don't know if they'll ever be held accountable. >> [clears throat] >> So, two notable companies were given no-bid contracts to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. And the government had awarded the pool resurfacing contract to a Virginia-based company known as Atlantic Industrial Coatings. And then Greenwater Services was given a no-bid contract to install this water purification system which appears to be struggling with the purification part considering all the green algae that we're seeing. Now, let's talk a little more about those no-bid contracts. Now, Trump originally said that the renovation would cost $1.8 million to repair and repaint the reflecting pool, but the price has ballooned to nearly $15 million, the federal contract shows. So, for comparison's sake, apparently the reflecting pool was renovated under the Obama administration, but because it needed repairs, okay? The pool needed leak repairs and things like that. It needed a new filtration system and that entire project cost $34 million. He also made the water less shallow in order to save water and obviously it would save energy because you don't have to filter as much water as you previously would need to do. Now, Trump said that he wanted the renovation done at lightning speed. Okay, I need it right away, right away. So, when you do that, you are able to bypass the no the bidding process and give out no-bid contracts, and that's exactly what happened here. So, again, he gave the no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based company. He claims that he has hired that firm to work on his property at Mar-a-Lago, and that company has was given $14.7 million um to carry out this work, which has been a disaster. Now, this is what he said about Atlantic Industrial Coatings on April 23rd. Take a look. >> I said, "You know, Doug, I have a guy who's unbelievable at doing the swimming pools up the road. We have a club, we have an Olympic-size swimming pool. He did it 20 years ago, and it's perfect to this day." So, I asked him, I said, "I have an idea. I'm going to send my contractor over to take a look." He looked at it, he called me up, he said, "So, we can do something about it." He said, "It's perfect, actually." He said, "It's really decaying and it's in a terrible condition. But, if you would, I'd like to work 2 weeks on cleaning it up, which is if you see right here. He'd like to like to repoint and fix some of the joints. It won't matter because we're putting a substance over the top, but it's nice to have a nice surface." >> But, Times reporting indicates that Atlantic Industrial Coatings does not appear to advertise any expertise in painting swimming pools or reflecting ponds or anything like that. The company's website shows it specializes in waterproofing highway culverts, pipes, roofs, and chemical and water storage tanks. The site does not mention swimming pools at Trump's golf clubs or anywhere else, and they decided to bump up the price tag for the work they did, giving themselves 20% profit 20% profit margin versus the normal 6 to 12% profit margin that uh other companies that are contracted by the federal government get. And then there's Green Water Services, Jake. This is my favorite one. They were given a $1.7 million contract. Federal contracting records show that the firm's ultimate owner is the J.J. Cafaro Investment Trust led by John Cafaro, a donor to Trump and a neighbor to Mar-a-Lago. The water treatment company also listed him his Palm Beach mansion as its address in Florida corporate records and listed his investment trust phone number and email in Ohio lobbying records. Cafaro, a long-time Republican donor whom Trump has described as a fantastic man, was once involved in a high-profile bribery scandal. >> Now he legalizes it, so he doesn't have to worry about it. >> Well, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe Democratic Representative James Trafficking Jr. back in 2001 to help >> notorious criminal. So, I like that he's bipartisan in his bribery. >> Well, I mean most of these people are, right? Cafaro also pleaded guilty to making a false statement about a campaign contribution to his daughter Capri Cafaro back in 2004. He also admitted to illegally concealing the contribution by structuring it as a loan, which violated you know, the law. He's just a disaster and I got to show you what he looks like. Let's go to this graphic. Um >> Oh, that's the guy who screwed it up. And huh. >> And who bribed officials before and now can legally bribe them so he can get no-bid contracts. That is so surprising, Anna. >> It's amazing. >> I am very surprised by that picture. >> But it was the vandals who messed up the reflecting pool. >> No, to be fair to John J. Cafaro, he did name it Green Water Services. >> He did. He's fair. [laughter] Fair, Jake. Fair. >> [gasps] >> Um >> We got what uh No, we didn't get what we paid for. We overpaid. >> Yeah. By the way, a no-bid contract is an insult to the free markets. It is the exact opposite of capitalism, and now you know why Donald Trump went bankrupt six different times. Six major bankruptcies. Oh, it'll cost 1.8 million. Oh, who No, one could have known that it'd cost 15 million and suck way worse. Well, that's what he did with every single project. He's the worst builder, worst businessman ever. The only thing he ever made money from is marketing, not from actually building anything. He's a destroyer. Oh, the ballroom's going to be great. He destroyed the East Wing. It no longer exists. >> Mhm. >> There is no ballroom, and the reflecting pool's a disaster. >> Absolutely. >> All he's done is destroy things in his path and never actually rebuilt them. >> We did get something out of this, though, a positive. Uh let's go to graphic 18. We got fun memes. We got fun memes. Uh this is Marco Rubio as a pool boy. Ready to clean the algae. >> Every time you ring the bell below, an angel gets his wings. Totally not true, but it does keep you updated on our live