Unquestionable proof Donald Trump is WRONG in reflecting pool row after 'vandals' claim

Unquestionable proof Donald Trump is WRONG in reflecting pool row after 'vandals' claim A fuming Donald Trump claimed 'vandals' were to blame after the Washington DC reflecting pool turning green and started peeling only days after a $14million (£10.5million)( renovation Donald Trump's claims 'vandals' have damaged the Washington DC reflecting pool have been rubbished after new evidence emerged. The US President, 80, took to Truth Social to vent his anger after the water installation near the Lincoln Memorial was hit by algal bloom which turned the water green - only days after a much-vaunted $14million makeover. Workers had dyed the bottom of the pool 'American flag blue' during the recent remodelling works - and it is thought this has contributed to the rapid growth of the algae, which has returned after affecting the pool for several years. In recent days, this layer of paint has begun to peel and float to the surface - leading some cheeky tourists to take pieces home as a souvenir. But Mr Trump, who had previously slammed the pool's "filthy" state under predecessor Joe Biden, has insisted "vandalism" is behind the disastrous recent developments. He wrote on his social media platform last night: "We’ve cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues, and 22 Fountains in Washington, DC. "However, we’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial." Members of the National Park Service and contractors were seen placing a tube into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool earlier this week in an effort to combat the algal growth. But it now appears that hydrogen peroxide used in the cleaning process appears to have caused the paint to peel from the concrete floor - while the algae remains as thick as before. Demonstrating the damage on camera by reaching into the water, ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl pulled up a large, rubbery sheet of the blue coating, adding: "The $14 million job to redo the bottom of this reflecting pool is falling apart before our eyes. The algae is still here, but the paint appears to be going away." Responding to the video, Mr Trump accused Mr Karl of "sticking his hand into the Pool, and trying to rip the rubber off the surface". Ozone nanobubbles - a water purification treatment used to avoid some harsh chemicals - have also been employed in the battle to clean the pool. National Park workers used a swimming pool-type vacuum cleaner to suck up algae from the bottom, while the service confirmed in a statement that it had used hydrogen peroxide as part of the operation, adding: "There are no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment". Away from Washington DC, Mr Trump deepened his row with European with former ally Italian PM Giorgia Meloni after claiming she asked "over and over" for a photo with him at the recent G7 summit - summit and criticising what he said was Italy’s lack of cooperation during the Iran war. The remarks deepen the spat that began this week with the Republican president’s interview with an Italian broadcaster, during which Mr Trump claimed Meloni "begged" for the photo during the meeting in France - a version of events Meloni called "completely fabricated." The dustup led Italy’s foreign minister to cancel a planned trip to the United States. "Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G7 meeting in France," Trump wrote on his social media platform, misspelling her first name in the initial post before later correcting it.