A June 2026 video circulating on social media falsely claims that a Fox News reporter described the green, algae-filled water in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as blue.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool had recently undergone renovations, including repainting its concrete floor with a color described as “American flag blue.” However, algae, a recurring issue that predates recent work, reappeared shortly after the pool was refilled.
While a Fox News segment did report on the reflecting pool, the correspondent’s remarks were misrepresented. The reporter, Johnny Belisario, was actually defending the Trump administration’s efforts to beautify the landmark and acknowledged the ongoing efforts to clean the algae. He stated, “It’s painted American flag blue. And the Democrats are gonna tell you, ‘Oh, there’s green algae. It looks so bad.’ But there’s pool guys cleaning it up right now.”
Social media users misinterpreted this to mean he was calling the visibly green water blue, drawing comparisons to George Orwell’s “1984.” The full report shows Belisario discussing both the blue paint and the algae problem, highlighting the cleaning process.
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