Pool fiasco reflects poorly on the morals of an entire administration
A US court filing has confirmed that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by a botched contractor installation rather than vandalism. This revelation contradicts previous claims made by the Trump administration, which had insisted vandals were responsible.
Why it matters
The incident highlights issues of political accountability and the tendency of administrations to deflect blame for infrastructure failures onto external actors.
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Share A A A Washington : There is a classic episode of the radio program This American Life that attempts to diagnose the elements of a fiasco. It asks: What elevates a situation from mere ordinary chaos or disaster to the “more ethereal, specialised realm of fiasco”?
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool saga surely qualifies as a case study. Not because of what happened – algae bloomed, lining peeled off – but because, as ever, it’s the cover-up that gets you in the end.
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