D.C. — Senator John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado, criticized President Donald Trump's expenditure of approximately $15 million in taxpayer funds to resurface the Reflecting Pool in "American Flag Blue." During a visit to the site, Hickenlooper stated, "It's going to say, 'President Trump, this belongs to the American people, and yet the shame here belongs to you, and you should pay for the problems.'"

Following the resurfacing, algae turned the water green, and strips of the blue coating floated to the surface. Trump accused "vandals" of damaging the coating. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump stated, "They went in there with a knife." He said law enforcement had launched an investigation and arrested individuals allegedly involved, later specifying that six people had been apprehended. One arrest involved David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, who was taken into custody for destruction of government property after reaching into the pool to touch a strip of the peeling blue coating.

Workers manually removed algae and installed additional filtration machines. The water has since returned mostly to blue, with some splotches of lime green. Multiple law enforcement agencies patrolled the site on a Tuesday, including about two dozen National Guard members in groups of three, a squadron of six police officers from Oklahoma, five U.S. Marshals near the Washington Monument end, and U.S. Park Police officers. A National Guardsman instructed a girl to "Stay out of the water, please!" after she dipped her hand in, and a National Guardswoman stated, "All we know is that it's a felony crime to tamper with the pool."

During his visit, Hickenlooper stated, "Let's go talk to the ducks." He then addressed the animals, saying, "Ruuun! Don't stay here. Run for your lives. Run for freedom!" He also asked visitors, "You know we're going to post that on video. Is that O.K.?"