What The Reflecting Pool Fiasco Indicates About Trump?

How often have we observed Donald Trump, both when he was a NY businessman and real estate investor and manager, as well as during his period as US President, what seems to be a signficant disconnect between Trump, and the real truth? His original claims when he ran for President in 2016, proclaiming himself as this amazing, successful businessman (who he stated he would run the nation in a more business-like way), despite the reality the vast number of Trump’s business ventures brought far-less than stellar results, should have been a warning sign to all! The less-well know reality of his Atlantic City casino properties were that Trump founded the AC properties in 1995, but after their first bankruptcy in 2004, Donald Trump Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts was left with a minority ownership, which after further bankruptcies in 2009 and 2014, in 2016 it became a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises, and since then, all of that company’s properties were closed and sold. While Trump proclaims he sold the properties for several reasons, including a challenging casino economy, probable-overexpansion in terms of the number of casinos operating, etc., many analysts claim, probably, the major cause was most likely, the excessive debt carried, which has often been part of the Trump business plan, etc. In the 1980s, Trump owned Resorts International, which for a short period, operated the Paradise Island properties (unsuccessfully, financially) before selling to Merv Griffin in 1988 (who ended-up selling and the property became the reimagined Atlantic Paradise Island). Trump Shuttle, Inc. was another Trump short-lived company, which used the former-Eastern Airlines landing rights and some other assets to operate the NY-BOS and NY-DCA air shuttles. Interestingly, when Eastern failed, its only successful division financially was the Eastern Shuttle, yet, in the short period (1989–1992) Trump Shuttle operated, it failed (losing tens of millions of dollars), and was sold by creditors in 1993, the US Airways which ran the shuttle from 1992–2015. Trump University, a real estate education company eventually had to shut down, after many lawsuits for fraud, and a $25 million settlement was paid out to former students. Trump launched Trump Steaks in 2007, but the product was soon pulled from shelves, after selling almost no steaks. Trump Vodka was introduced in 2006, but went out of business within a few short years, due to very poor sales, etc. Trump Mortgage opened in 2006, just prior to the significant housing crash, and when it failed to meet its financial targets, was shut down with about 18 months. Similar disastrous results occurred related t Trump: The Game, that launched in 1989, closing shortly after because of poor sales; GoTrump.com, an online booking website that operated for about a year before closing in 2007; The Trump Network, a multi-level marketing company selling vitamins and at-home health test, that launched in 2009 and shut down in 2012; Trump Beverages, a bottled spring water company that eventually discontinued operations; Trump Magazine, another over-hyped short-lived venture, etc. Clearly, Donald Trump never was the genius businessman he continues to this day portraying himself at! Unfortunately, it appears, perhaps, the one truth Trump has stated is that he has handled the US economy and debt, as poorly and apparently recklessly as he did his own properties! Perhaps I should have titled this article, Donald Trump: The Man, The Myth, & The Facts! With that in mind, this article will briefly consider, examine, review and discuss, how this Reflecting Pool Fiasco appears to be a monument to how Donald Trump proceeds, in so many aspects, etc.

When President Trump decided to improve and beautify the Reflecting Pool which sits between The Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, he did not bother to get approval or truly expert advice, nor did he even bother with putting it out-to-bid. Rather, he apparently, unilaterally decided to choose a contract using no-bid, who had little to no experience or expertise with reflecting pools, but rather was a swimming pool designer and contractor. Trump originally seemed to indicate he knew this individual’s quality of work, and the renovation would make it far-better, and apparently decided that painting the bottle of it an America Flag Blue was the best approach, despite many other actual experts stating doing so was poorly advised. Once again, Trump’s bravado and stating he knew best, seemed to become the enemy of a quality performance! As criticism of the project, for several reasons including extreme-cost overruns, extreme algae growth and discoloration of the pool’s water (from blue to green), we heard a number of ever-changing narratives, including indicating he didn’t personally know the man or company, to claiming his political opponents purposely vandalized it (of course, without any evidence), expecting the public to believe these vandals created a 350 foot gash in the lining, put the algae (even referring at one point to it as algae seeks, which isn’t how algae works), etc., and of course, never explaining that using excessive amounts of concentrated hydrogen peroxide (a main ingredient in commercial paint remover) may have been unwise, and made things far-worse. With Trump, there’s always some Conspiracy theory, it’s always his opponents/adversaries fault, and then, proceeds to his seemingly-favorite claim, which is to Blame, Complain and Deny, and blaming Obama, Biden, and the so-called communists for the problems. We never hear Trump assume any personal responsibility!

When Trump’s Interior Secretary was asked if another contractor will be hired for the repairs, he defended the original contractor’s work, and how beautiful the pool was, and that the pool looked great. Either they belief the public are fools, or that the excessive constant gaslighting, etc., is their best approach, etc.!

Interior Secretary Burgum said he was 100% sure that vandals caused the damage, tweaking Trump’s narrative slightly from there having been a 350 foot gash cut into the liner, to describing it as multiple cuts which added up to that figure. Burgum told CNN, “We’ll use the same company, because they did a fantastic job.”

Consider this Reflecting Pool fiasco in a larger context and scope, including how Trump has approached the Iran War and negotiations (including his ever-changing narratives), our reasons for attacking Venezuela and the associated fishing boats in international waters, Trump’s rhetoric regarding Greenland, Panama, Mexico, Canada, the EU, NATO, etc., the hype regarding DOGE (where they claimed $4 trillion in savings and efficiencies would be found, only to end-up, at the program’s announced conclusion, and apparent net loss and excessive disruptions caused.

Think about how Trump has approached what we traditionally consider to be Safety Net Programs, including healthcare-related, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP, scientific research, and nearly anything he seems to consider inconvenient, including preserving and protecting the environment (clean air and water), preparing for and addressing Climate Change-related policies, education, anti-discrimination, and energy long-term approaches, etc.

We must compare two famous statements made by others: (1) There’s a sucker born every day; versus, (2) Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice, shame on me. Why do one-third of Americans continue being ultra-supportive of Donald Trump? Why would and/or should anyone believe him? Why do we keep hearing from some what a great genius businessman Trump is? What would it take, or would anything make them open-their-eyes?

This is not merely about politics, although partly it probably is! We must decide what kind of nation the USA should be going forward! We must decide whether we follow the rule-of-law, and forbid anyone to be above-the-law. We must question how this SCOTUS has become neither Supreme nor a fair and impartial arbiter of the law! In the isolated situation, this Reflecting Pool Fiasco, in an of itself, is a wasteful, poorly designed project, yet in the wider picture, although we should oppose avoidable waste, the dollar amount is only a miniscule percentage of all the federal expenditures! However, it is an obvious example which indicates that the combination of arrogance, ignorance, power, and narcissism is almost-always, a bad one!

Everything we can research about Donald Trump’s adult life, including his personal improprieties (apparently), his business lack-of-acumen, his often-costly, avoidable errors, his unwillingness to assume personal responsibility, his tendency to tells lies and misstatements at a never-before seen rate (according to professional fact-checkers), his My way or the highway mentality, his arrogance, and his apparent unwillingness to learn from history, or spend adequate time learning all relevant facts, etc., should, at least by now, have taught us the type of person Donald Trump is! Yet, the self-identifying MAGA folks (thought to represent up to one-third of US population), keep believing and following! We have probably underestimated Trump, to some degree, because he has shown he has a keen sense of manipulating others, to believe his preferred narrative! Repeatedly, I have said, Trump never lets the real facts interfere with his preferred narratives, and today’s Trump has been so enabled (such as by SCOTUS’ Presidential immunity and other decisions, as well as the vast majority of his Party doing whatever he wants), that he feels entitled to ignore the rule of law, and constantly proceed as if he is above the law.

Wake up America. We cannot afford to procrastinate. Those who have opened-their eyes to the clear and present danger and threat, must unify before it’s too late! Either Trump’s political opponents regain, at least one house of Congress (but probably need both), or it may be too late! Don’t be fooled again. Hold Trump and those who enable him, accountable! Resist persistently. Vote! Voting matters, and elections have consequences. If you don’t want this Reflecting Pool fiasco to become an omen for this nation, this may be the last chance. It’s up to all of us!