President Trump's explanation for fresh damage at the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool isn't holding water ... 'cause two pool experts tell TMZ this doesn't look like the work of vandals.
Take the plunge and watch our "TMZ Live" debate ... an anonymous pool surfacing expert and veteran pool consultant Rudy Stankowitz joined us to break down what they believe really caused the mess ... and both say the problem likely started during construction.
Trump says vandalsare to blame ... but both experts told us the problem looks self-inflicted. They pointed to installation issues -- not sabotage -- as the likely cause.
President Trump looks like he's trying catch those pesky pool vandals with some fancy new technology ... because new A.I. surveillance systems were just installed at the the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Our Charlie Cotton noticed these new A.I. security cameras being wheeled over to the Reflecting Pool on Monday -- the same day Trump claimed vandals carved a 300-foot long gash into the brand new Pool liner -- and when Charlie returned Tuesday, the surveillance systems were installed and running ... keeping a watchful eye over the Pool.
This is more than just an eye in the sky ... this A.I. features real-time tracking, intrusion detection, HD monitoring, strobe lights, automated spotlights and loud, talk-down horn speaker.
Donald Trump's name has officially been scrubbed from the Kennedy Center ... and while the new look is still blocked by scaffolding and a tarp, we're finally seeing behind the mask.
Take a peek behind the giant tarp that has been covering part of the Kennedy Center's facade where Trump's name once hung. Thanks to photos obtained by Hands off the Arts ... we can now see the iconic venue without the Trump signage that sparked major controversy.
Trump's name didn't come down quietly ... after months of legal wrangling, courts sided with folks who argued the Trump-controlled Kennedy Center board never had the power to rename the iconic venue in the first place ... ordering Trump's name stripped from the building, website, and other official materials.
Ducks who live near President Trump's White House might want to think about flying south for the summer ... because two more ducks were found dead in a pond on the National Mall amid the ongoing Reflecting Pool disaster.
If you can stomach another photo of a dead duck, this one was taken Sunday afternoon and is even more upsetting.
The bird was pulled out of the water and left on the walkway, covered in plant matter and what looks like green slime, which can only mean one thing -- algae.
The carcass was found at Constitution Gardens, about 250 feet from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ... where a duckling was previously found dead following a botched $16 million renovation and algae attack.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is quickly turning into the Lincoln Memorial Arresting Pool ... TMZ DC witnessed the latest bust firsthand, and the guy who got led off in cuffs gave us a piece of his mind.
Check out the video ... Jacob hustled over to ask the detainee why he was in handcuffs ... and he told us why an out-of-state law enforcement agency's presence set him off.
The Reflecting Pool is the center of a growing controversy in D.C. and we've already seen law enforcement take action against a couple people today ... including this man, who was led away by US Park Police.
The only quacks that prospered from the new Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are the ones who installed it, because duck life really sucks now.
When you dive into the before and after, it's no wonder at least one of the flock is already a dead duck. The algae is everywhere. Even though the before pic is kinda gnarly, it was like paradise compared to the new and less improved.
The algae could be the dreaded cyanobacteria, which are extremely toxic to animals that skim the pool.
President Donald Trump's late-night post of a blonde woman sparked confusion online ... and led internet sleuths to figure out who she is.
Here's the deal ... Trump hopped on Truth Social Saturday night and posted a photo of a blonde woman from the early 2000s -- captioning it "Great daughter."
The woman in the photo wasn't one of the prez's daughters ... leading to the confusion.
President Donald Trump says work is already underway to repair what he described as a heavily vandalized Reflecting Pool after he reportedly personally inspected the damage.
Trump took to Truth Social to share his reaction after visiting the site, saying he was stunned by what he saw. Trump wrote. "I just inspected it, and could only say to myself, and those gathered around me, WOW, who would do such a thing? SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE! We will fix it!"
He says ... "Work will begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool." The president didn't provide details about the nature of the damage or identify who may be responsible, but his post made clear he believes the vandalism was intentional and significant enough to warrant immediate repairs.
A dead duck was found floating in the Reflecting Pool Sunday ... days after workers were seen dumping hydrogen peroxide into the water.
Rob Crilly -- a political journalist who previously covered the White House for the Washington Examiner -- shared two photos of the deceased animal to his X account on Sunday.
President Donald Trump set off a wave of online confusion late Saturday night after posting a photo on Truth Social featuring a blonde woman he described in the caption as "Great daughter."
The only problem ... the woman in the image doesn’t appear to be any of Trump’s daughters, Ivanka Trump or Tiffany Trump, sparking immediate speculation across social media about who exactly he was referring to.
The photo showed a blonde woman dressed in black, reclining on a red sofa while talking on the phone inside a room decorated with patriotic Americana. Among the details in the background were what appeared to be a decorative throw featuring a state-style seal, along with furnishings that quickly became part of the internet’s growing investigation.
Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn is in hot water with the law -- and President Trump -- after getting arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to a new report.
Hearn -- a three-time U.S. Olympian who competed in the canoe slalom -- stopped while on a 52-mile bike ride to take a look at the Reflecting Pool after its recent $14 Million renovation that was championed by Trump, The Washington Post reports.
The 67-year-old Hearn told the publication that all he did was reach into the water and touch a piece of partially detached pool liner to see what it felt like.
The "peace deal" has been signed, but it's debatable whether we got the upper hand. And boy, did Janice Dickinson start a plastic surgery war with Kris Jenner! So we gotta ask ...
President Trump's overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool isn't exactly making a splash for the right reasons ... 'cause the revamped landmark is already battling algae and signs of wear and tear.
Trump previously told reporters he personally selected the sealant color -- dubbed "American Flag Blue" -- but just days after water was pumped back into the pool, a layer of green algae started making itself at home.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior told CBS News the algae bloom was simply "part of the normal startup process" and would be cleaned up quickly. And to their credit, crews got to work.
A bunch of alleged narco-terrorists were blown straight to hell courtesy of the U.S. Military — and it was all caught on video!
U.S. Southern Command General Francis L. Donovan ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a boat identified as a Designated Terrorist Organization with three purported drug traffickers aboard.
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In the video, posted late Thursday on X, you can see the vessel traveling through the waters of the Eastern Pacific when, suddenly, it explodes after being hit by the kinetic strike.
Hillary Clinton broke into a giggling fit during the opening of Barack Obama's presidential library ... cracking up at what might've been a subtle dig at President Donald Trump ... and the punch line is the Nobel Peace Prize.
Here's the deal ... former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama gave a speech before her husband spoke ... listing his accomplishments and putting a special emphasis on one word in particular.
Michelle said one of her husband's greatest achievements was "winning the Nobel Peace Prize" ... hitting the word "winning" pretty hard.
Jose Alvarado seems down for a trip to President Trump's White House -- the newly crowned champion tells TMZ Sports if that's what the Knicks want to do, he'll be there too!!
We caught up with the 28-year-old guard leaving the iHeart studios in NYC just days after his squad secured an NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs ... and asked how he felt about the longtime tradition of visiting 1600 Penn.
"If there's a chance, I'm going wherever my teammate goes," Alvarado said.
