Now that we have a new thread, in order to ensure that this thread continues to meet TL standards and follows the proper guidelines, we will be enforcing the rules in the OP more strictly. Be sure to give them a complete and thorough read before posting!
NOTE: When providing a source, please provide a very brief summary on what it's about and what purpose it adds to the discussion. The supporting statement should clearly explain why the subject is relevant and needs to be discussed. Please follow this rule especially for tweets.
Your supporting statement should always come BEFORE you provide the source.
On June 23 2026 14:56 Falling wrote: Very good to know that the Arab HUSSEIN Obama and Biden spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the reflecting pool, but he, Donald J Trump, has only spent $14 million (so far) on a no vid contract to donor and neighbour to Donald J Trump.
But if only there weren't so many vandals. Vandals and wreckers. Cutting 290, or 300 foot slit in the Reflecting Pool without anyone noticing. Amazing.
I have a pavlovian reflex to ask oblade what his thoughts on the reflecting pool controversy are ?
Is it A) Ninja vandals B) Obama left too much of a mess to fix the pool C) We don't have all the facts yet and oblade'll give his opinion on this when the official reports comes out in 2 years
Controversy lol.
I feel, based on your two-word answer, like you don't understand why there would be a controversy, or if there is, that it's a meaningless or unimportant one.
So let me break it down in some more specific questions:
A) How do you feel about no-bid contracts being given out by washington for Millions of tax-payer dollars to possibly friends and donors ? Is it ok for the president/government to hand these out ?
Dude.
The pool is broken.
In the 4th Century, Aristotle wrote: For it is a characteristic of an educated man to look for as much precision in each subject as the nature of a particular area of enquiry admits.
Fix the pool.
Millions of dollars is exactly correct. It's not a $200 job and it's not a billion dollar job.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: B) How do you feel about the president unilaterally deciding on renovations, major changes to landmarks (reflecting pool, white house) without approval from the responsible federal authorities? Are you generally fine with the president bypassing all legal process to get things moving faster ?
Today you learned, to your chagrin, that as actually elected president, whether you like it or not, Trump is the top figure in the entire government and has valid and significant legal authorities that the, let's say, "hall monitor" class of "real government" that you imagine he reports to, does not overrule.
You also learned that no-bid contracts are EXPLICITLY allowed by statute SPECIFICALLY because of urgency, like for example my beautiful country's upcoming 250th birthday.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: C) What is your opinion on the cause of the new-reflecting pool being filled with algae and the coating being damaged ? If the answer is not "Vandals", are you generally fine with the president blatantly lying about it on TV ? If the answer is "Vandals", could you provide a quick and plausible explanation on how the vandals managed to to pull this off with guards and cctv around ?
Refer to A: The pool is broken.
This can be because it's a 2,000 foot long pool that has been subsiding for decades.
It can be because of vandals.
It can be because of both.
The answer is: Fix the pool.
You do not know DC. I've seen people smoking weed in gazebos* on the grounds of the Capitol.
Your faux skepticism outrage worldview of "How could the people who did this without being arrested or identified possibly do anything to the reflecting pool? Why would any mentally ill person exist who wants to vandalize something they see as being connected to Blumpf?" lacks persuasive merit.
Was there a vandal who did something to the reflecting pool? Certainly plausible. Is that the single and main and but-for cause of the pool needing more work? Answer:Fix the pool.
If today's the day you want to pretend to be a pool expert also I'll entertain your good-faith detailed theories so long as France will agree to foot the bill for the Statue of Liberty's centennial renovations.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: Thank you for your attention to this matter.
"Even my personality and speech is being assimilated into the person I'm obsessed with"
I never said we shouldn't fix the pool ? Why are you repeating "fix the pool !" ?
I understand your argument is "There was urgency for ´fixing' the pool before July 4th, therefore a no-bid contract is acceptable and legal.". My questions to you: 1) Couldn't this have been forseen since the 250th birthday is not a surprise ? 2) If one is forced to do a no-bid contract, in a normal presidency, wouldn't they want to chose a company that they do not have any links to ? Wouldn't one also want to chose a company that has experience in the sort of works that are required ? I'm asking for your personal opinion, I'm not asking you to tell me "Trump did it, he's the authority and therefore it's legal"
Regarding your answer to B), are you saying that congress (and the people that congress have given power to) are mere "hallway monitors" and the president can disregard the law when he sees fit ?
If I understood correctly, your answer to C) is you don't know why the pool is full of algae with paint pealing off. (And also "fix the pool!"). I agree with you the pool must be fixed. With that out of the way, here is my theory as to why the pool is broken today. Trump gave away a multi-million no-bid contract to his friends and donors who had no prior experience working on a structure of this scale. The team made mistakes, applied an improper coating and didn't take into account temperature rises that come from painting something a darker color. Now Trump os lying about it to protect his friends saying vandals did this. This seems very unlikely seeing that the paint is pealing off over 300feet. That's my theory regarding why a pool that's just been fixed for millions of dollars is still broken today. I'm not saying it's the absolute truth, I'm just saying that that is what makes the most sense to me currently.
Can you give me your reasonable explanation for why the pool is still broken a week after it has been repaired ?
This seems reasonable, but have you considered the counterpoint:
Ninjas with boxcutters and a hatred of pool linings.
Occam's razor is likely the tool they used to slice the pool lining undetected.
On June 23 2026 23:45 Billyboy wrote: Side note, it’s really funny to watch people ask MAGA if Trump is for or against fascism. Then when they say against, they tell him that he’s antifa.
On June 23 2026 23:45 Billyboy wrote: Side note, it’s really funny to watch people ask MAGA if Trump is for or against fascism. Then when they say against, they tell him that he’s antifa.
This is called "equivocation."
It’s just funny to watch their small brains try to work it out in real time. Like it must for you when you have to all the sudden believe what ever ridiculous talking point you are fed on for example this pool or a real issue like pretending Trump won the war on Iran and now the US is in a better position then before it, or a harder one, how this is better than the deal he tore up!
On June 23 2026 20:45 Doublemint wrote: it indeed is not a controversy, more a literal representation and microcosm of the swamp Trump created.
Washington politics was terrible to begin with, so props to him giving much needed attention to no bid contracts among the bestest of buddies on the tax payer's dime!
Yeah, the "Sweetheart Index" didn't get a lot of attention.
Politically connected companies do not just win more contracts. They often win better ones. Researchers tracked four coveted contract features using a “sweetheart index”: no-bid awards, which can reduce competition significantly; cost-plus contracts, which shift more financial risk to the government; multi-year deals, which lock in steady revenue streams; and waivers of the requirement to submit detailed pricing data, which give companies more room to negotiate on their own terms.
Firms with deeper local political connections scored measurably higher on this index. A company with well-placed local allies was more likely to land a sole-source contract, more likely to negotiate terms that protected its bottom line, and more likely to operate under fewer transparency requirements. Individually, each advantage is meaningful. Over years of contracting activity, they can compound in ways that significantly shape a company’s financial position.
One important caveat: this study is observational, not experimental. The findings show consistent associations between political connections and contracting outcomes, not that political influence fully determines who wins. Merit, technical capability, and other factors remain part of the picture.
~33% of contracts are no-bid with a significant number of them also only getting 1 bid and that bidder winning.
The best thing about Trump is that he's stripped away much of the mask/plausible deniability that US democracy has been running on basically the whole time.
On June 23 2026 23:45 Billyboy wrote: Side note, it’s really funny to watch people ask MAGA if Trump is for or against fascism. Then when they say against, they tell him that he’s antifa.
This is called "equivocation."
It’s just funny to watch their small brains try to work it out in real time. Like it must for you when you have to all the sudden believe what ever ridiculous talking point you are fed on for example this pool or a real issue like pretending Trump won the war on Iran and now the US is in a better position then before it, or a harder one, how this is better than the deal he tore up!
To work out that they're being baited by a Tiktoker?
On June 23 2026 23:45 Billyboy wrote: Side note, it’s really funny to watch people ask MAGA if Trump is for or against fascism. Then when they say against, they tell him that he’s antifa.
This is called "equivocation."
It’s just funny to watch their small brains try to work it out in real time. Like it must for you when you have to all the sudden believe what ever ridiculous talking point you are fed on for example this pool or a real issue like pretending Trump won the war on Iran and now the US is in a better position then before it, or a harder one, how this is better than the deal he tore up!
To work out that they're being baited by a Tiktoker?
Not surprised you are not getting it, the best way I can think of explaining it to you, is it is like watching your posts about the Iran war switch, swap and twist all over depending on what “facts” you were told last. As you try to make it make sense, but happening in real time.
On June 23 2026 14:56 Falling wrote: Very good to know that the Arab HUSSEIN Obama and Biden spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the reflecting pool, but he, Donald J Trump, has only spent $14 million (so far) on a no vid contract to donor and neighbour to Donald J Trump.
But if only there weren't so many vandals. Vandals and wreckers. Cutting 290, or 300 foot slit in the Reflecting Pool without anyone noticing. Amazing.
I have a pavlovian reflex to ask oblade what his thoughts on the reflecting pool controversy are ?
Is it A) Ninja vandals B) Obama left too much of a mess to fix the pool C) We don't have all the facts yet and oblade'll give his opinion on this when the official reports comes out in 2 years
Controversy lol.
I feel, based on your two-word answer, like you don't understand why there would be a controversy, or if there is, that it's a meaningless or unimportant one.
So let me break it down in some more specific questions:
A) How do you feel about no-bid contracts being given out by washington for Millions of tax-payer dollars to possibly friends and donors ? Is it ok for the president/government to hand these out ?
Dude.
The pool is broken.
In the 4th Century, Aristotle wrote: For it is a characteristic of an educated man to look for as much precision in each subject as the nature of a particular area of enquiry admits.
Fix the pool.
Millions of dollars is exactly correct. It's not a $200 job and it's not a billion dollar job.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: B) How do you feel about the president unilaterally deciding on renovations, major changes to landmarks (reflecting pool, white house) without approval from the responsible federal authorities? Are you generally fine with the president bypassing all legal process to get things moving faster ?
Today you learned, to your chagrin, that as actually elected president, whether you like it or not, Trump is the top figure in the entire government and has valid and significant legal authorities that the, let's say, "hall monitor" class of "real government" that you imagine he reports to, does not overrule.
You also learned that no-bid contracts are EXPLICITLY allowed by statute SPECIFICALLY because of urgency, like for example my beautiful country's upcoming 250th birthday.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: C) What is your opinion on the cause of the new-reflecting pool being filled with algae and the coating being damaged ? If the answer is not "Vandals", are you generally fine with the president blatantly lying about it on TV ? If the answer is "Vandals", could you provide a quick and plausible explanation on how the vandals managed to to pull this off with guards and cctv around ?
Refer to A: The pool is broken.
This can be because it's a 2,000 foot long pool that has been subsiding for decades.
It can be because of vandals.
It can be because of both.
The answer is: Fix the pool.
You do not know DC. I've seen people smoking weed in gazebos* on the grounds of the Capitol.
Your faux skepticism outrage worldview of "How could the people who did this without being arrested or identified possibly do anything to the reflecting pool? Why would any mentally ill person exist who wants to vandalize something they see as being connected to Blumpf?" lacks persuasive merit.
Was there a vandal who did something to the reflecting pool? Certainly plausible. Is that the single and main and but-for cause of the pool needing more work? Answer:Fix the pool.
If today's the day you want to pretend to be a pool expert also I'll entertain your good-faith detailed theories so long as France will agree to foot the bill for the Statue of Liberty's centennial renovations.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: Thank you for your attention to this matter.
"Even my personality and speech is being assimilated into the person I'm obsessed with"
I never said we shouldn't fix the pool ? Why are you repeating "fix the pool !" ?
I understand your argument is "There was urgency for ´fixing' the pool before July 4th, therefore a no-bid contract is acceptable and legal.". My questions to you: 1) Couldn't this have been forseen since the 250th birthday is not a surprise ? 2) If one is forced to do a no-bid contract, in a normal presidency, wouldn't they want to chose a company that they do not have any links to ? Wouldn't one also want to chose a company that has experience in the sort of works that are required ? I'm asking for your personal opinion, I'm not asking you to tell me "Trump did it, he's the authority and therefore it's legal"
Regarding your answer to B), are you saying that congress (and the people that congress have given power to) are mere "hallway monitors" and the president can disregard the law when he sees fit ?
If I understood correctly, your answer to C) is you don't know why the pool is full of algae with paint pealing off. (And also "fix the pool!"). I agree with you the pool must be fixed. With that out of the way, here is my theory as to why the pool is broken today. Trump gave away a multi-million no-bid contract to his friends and donors who had no prior experience working on a structure of this scale. The team made mistakes, applied an improper coating and didn't take into account temperature rises that come from painting something a darker color. Now Trump os lying about it to protect his friends saying vandals did this. This seems very unlikely seeing that the paint is pealing off over 300feet. That's my theory regarding why a pool that's just been fixed for millions of dollars is still broken today. I'm not saying it's the absolute truth, I'm just saying that that is what makes the most sense to me currently.
Can you give me your reasonable explanation for why the pool is still broken a week after it has been repaired ?
This seems reasonable, but have you considered the counterpoint:
Ninjas with boxcutters and a hatred of pool linings.
Occam's razor is likely the tool they used to slice the pool lining undetected.
Bodysnatching fairies shooting tanks full of meth‘d up nazis in antifa costumes. Or antifa in nazi uniforms.
On June 23 2026 14:56 Falling wrote: Very good to know that the Arab HUSSEIN Obama and Biden spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the reflecting pool, but he, Donald J Trump, has only spent $14 million (so far) on a no vid contract to donor and neighbour to Donald J Trump.
But if only there weren't so many vandals. Vandals and wreckers. Cutting 290, or 300 foot slit in the Reflecting Pool without anyone noticing. Amazing.
I have a pavlovian reflex to ask oblade what his thoughts on the reflecting pool controversy are ?
Is it A) Ninja vandals B) Obama left too much of a mess to fix the pool C) We don't have all the facts yet and oblade'll give his opinion on this when the official reports comes out in 2 years
Controversy lol.
I feel, based on your two-word answer, like you don't understand why there would be a controversy, or if there is, that it's a meaningless or unimportant one.
So let me break it down in some more specific questions:
A) How do you feel about no-bid contracts being given out by washington for Millions of tax-payer dollars to possibly friends and donors ? Is it ok for the president/government to hand these out ?
Dude.
The pool is broken.
In the 4th Century, Aristotle wrote: For it is a characteristic of an educated man to look for as much precision in each subject as the nature of a particular area of enquiry admits.
Fix the pool.
Millions of dollars is exactly correct. It's not a $200 job and it's not a billion dollar job.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: B) How do you feel about the president unilaterally deciding on renovations, major changes to landmarks (reflecting pool, white house) without approval from the responsible federal authorities? Are you generally fine with the president bypassing all legal process to get things moving faster ?
Today you learned, to your chagrin, that as actually elected president, whether you like it or not, Trump is the top figure in the entire government and has valid and significant legal authorities that the, let's say, "hall monitor" class of "real government" that you imagine he reports to, does not overrule.
You also learned that no-bid contracts are EXPLICITLY allowed by statute SPECIFICALLY because of urgency, like for example my beautiful country's upcoming 250th birthday.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: C) What is your opinion on the cause of the new-reflecting pool being filled with algae and the coating being damaged ? If the answer is not "Vandals", are you generally fine with the president blatantly lying about it on TV ? If the answer is "Vandals", could you provide a quick and plausible explanation on how the vandals managed to to pull this off with guards and cctv around ?
Refer to A: The pool is broken.
This can be because it's a 2,000 foot long pool that has been subsiding for decades.
It can be because of vandals.
It can be because of both.
The answer is: Fix the pool.
You do not know DC. I've seen people smoking weed in gazebos* on the grounds of the Capitol.
Your faux skepticism outrage worldview of "How could the people who did this without being arrested or identified possibly do anything to the reflecting pool? Why would any mentally ill person exist who wants to vandalize something they see as being connected to Blumpf?" lacks persuasive merit.
Was there a vandal who did something to the reflecting pool? Certainly plausible. Is that the single and main and but-for cause of the pool needing more work? Answer:Fix the pool.
If today's the day you want to pretend to be a pool expert also I'll entertain your good-faith detailed theories so long as France will agree to foot the bill for the Statue of Liberty's centennial renovations.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: Thank you for your attention to this matter.
"Even my personality and speech is being assimilated into the person I'm obsessed with"
I never said we shouldn't fix the pool ? Why are you repeating "fix the pool !" ?
I understand your argument is "There was urgency for ´fixing' the pool before July 4th, therefore a no-bid contract is acceptable and legal.". My questions to you: 1) Couldn't this have been forseen since the 250th birthday is not a surprise ? 2) If one is forced to do a no-bid contract, in a normal presidency, wouldn't they want to chose a company that they do not have any links to ? Wouldn't one also want to chose a company that has experience in the sort of works that are required ? I'm asking for your personal opinion, I'm not asking you to tell me "Trump did it, he's the authority and therefore it's legal"
Regarding your answer to B), are you saying that congress (and the people that congress have given power to) are mere "hallway monitors" and the president can disregard the law when he sees fit ?
If I understood correctly, your answer to C) is you don't know why the pool is full of algae with paint pealing off. (And also "fix the pool!"). I agree with you the pool must be fixed. With that out of the way, here is my theory as to why the pool is broken today. Trump gave away a multi-million no-bid contract to his friends and donors who had no prior experience working on a structure of this scale. The team made mistakes, applied an improper coating and didn't take into account temperature rises that come from painting something a darker color. Now Trump os lying about it to protect his friends saying vandals did this. This seems very unlikely seeing that the paint is pealing off over 300feet. That's my theory regarding why a pool that's just been fixed for millions of dollars is still broken today. I'm not saying it's the absolute truth, I'm just saying that that is what makes the most sense to me currently.
Can you give me your reasonable explanation for why the pool is still broken a week after it has been repaired ?
This seems reasonable, but have you considered the counterpoint:
Ninjas with boxcutters and a hatred of pool linings.
Occam's razor is likely the tool they used to slice the pool lining undetected.
The peeling paint and algae looks like government incompetence. If there's anything to the intentional vandalism arrests, the government will have to show the evidence in court. I saw 5 arrested.
On June 23 2026 14:56 Falling wrote: Very good to know that the Arab HUSSEIN Obama and Biden spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the reflecting pool, but he, Donald J Trump, has only spent $14 million (so far) on a no vid contract to donor and neighbour to Donald J Trump.
But if only there weren't so many vandals. Vandals and wreckers. Cutting 290, or 300 foot slit in the Reflecting Pool without anyone noticing. Amazing.
I have a pavlovian reflex to ask oblade what his thoughts on the reflecting pool controversy are ?
Is it A) Ninja vandals B) Obama left too much of a mess to fix the pool C) We don't have all the facts yet and oblade'll give his opinion on this when the official reports comes out in 2 years
Controversy lol.
I feel, based on your two-word answer, like you don't understand why there would be a controversy, or if there is, that it's a meaningless or unimportant one.
So let me break it down in some more specific questions:
A) How do you feel about no-bid contracts being given out by washington for Millions of tax-payer dollars to possibly friends and donors ? Is it ok for the president/government to hand these out ?
Dude.
The pool is broken.
In the 4th Century, Aristotle wrote: For it is a characteristic of an educated man to look for as much precision in each subject as the nature of a particular area of enquiry admits.
Fix the pool.
Millions of dollars is exactly correct. It's not a $200 job and it's not a billion dollar job.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: B) How do you feel about the president unilaterally deciding on renovations, major changes to landmarks (reflecting pool, white house) without approval from the responsible federal authorities? Are you generally fine with the president bypassing all legal process to get things moving faster ?
Today you learned, to your chagrin, that as actually elected president, whether you like it or not, Trump is the top figure in the entire government and has valid and significant legal authorities that the, let's say, "hall monitor" class of "real government" that you imagine he reports to, does not overrule.
You also learned that no-bid contracts are EXPLICITLY allowed by statute SPECIFICALLY because of urgency, like for example my beautiful country's upcoming 250th birthday.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: C) What is your opinion on the cause of the new-reflecting pool being filled with algae and the coating being damaged ? If the answer is not "Vandals", are you generally fine with the president blatantly lying about it on TV ? If the answer is "Vandals", could you provide a quick and plausible explanation on how the vandals managed to to pull this off with guards and cctv around ?
Refer to A: The pool is broken.
This can be because it's a 2,000 foot long pool that has been subsiding for decades.
It can be because of vandals.
It can be because of both.
The answer is: Fix the pool.
You do not know DC. I've seen people smoking weed in gazebos* on the grounds of the Capitol.
Your faux skepticism outrage worldview of "How could the people who did this without being arrested or identified possibly do anything to the reflecting pool? Why would any mentally ill person exist who wants to vandalize something they see as being connected to Blumpf?" lacks persuasive merit.
Was there a vandal who did something to the reflecting pool? Certainly plausible. Is that the single and main and but-for cause of the pool needing more work? Answer:Fix the pool.
If today's the day you want to pretend to be a pool expert also I'll entertain your good-faith detailed theories so long as France will agree to foot the bill for the Statue of Liberty's centennial renovations.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: Thank you for your attention to this matter.
"Even my personality and speech is being assimilated into the person I'm obsessed with"
I never said we shouldn't fix the pool ? Why are you repeating "fix the pool !" ?
I understand your argument is "There was urgency for ´fixing' the pool before July 4th, therefore a no-bid contract is acceptable and legal.". My questions to you: 1) Couldn't this have been forseen since the 250th birthday is not a surprise ? 2) If one is forced to do a no-bid contract, in a normal presidency, wouldn't they want to chose a company that they do not have any links to ? Wouldn't one also want to chose a company that has experience in the sort of works that are required ? I'm asking for your personal opinion, I'm not asking you to tell me "Trump did it, he's the authority and therefore it's legal"
Regarding your answer to B), are you saying that congress (and the people that congress have given power to) are mere "hallway monitors" and the president can disregard the law when he sees fit ?
If I understood correctly, your answer to C) is you don't know why the pool is full of algae with paint pealing off. (And also "fix the pool!"). I agree with you the pool must be fixed. With that out of the way, here is my theory as to why the pool is broken today. Trump gave away a multi-million no-bid contract to his friends and donors who had no prior experience working on a structure of this scale. The team made mistakes, applied an improper coating and didn't take into account temperature rises that come from painting something a darker color. Now Trump os lying about it to protect his friends saying vandals did this. This seems very unlikely seeing that the paint is pealing off over 300feet. That's my theory regarding why a pool that's just been fixed for millions of dollars is still broken today. I'm not saying it's the absolute truth, I'm just saying that that is what makes the most sense to me currently.
Can you give me your reasonable explanation for why the pool is still broken a week after it has been repaired ?
This seems reasonable, but have you considered the counterpoint:
Ninjas with boxcutters and a hatred of pool linings.
Occam's razor is likely the tool they used to slice the pool lining undetected.
The peeling paint and algae looks like government incompetence. If there's anything to the intentional vandalism arrests, the government will have to show the evidence in court. I saw 5 arrested.
What do you mean government incompetence ? I'm assuming the government asked for a pool with no algae or peeling paint. It looks more like contractor incompetence. Or do you mean the government was incompetent because they chose the wrong contractor for the job ?
On June 23 2026 14:56 Falling wrote: Very good to know that the Arab HUSSEIN Obama and Biden spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the reflecting pool, but he, Donald J Trump, has only spent $14 million (so far) on a no vid contract to donor and neighbour to Donald J Trump.
But if only there weren't so many vandals. Vandals and wreckers. Cutting 290, or 300 foot slit in the Reflecting Pool without anyone noticing. Amazing.
I have a pavlovian reflex to ask oblade what his thoughts on the reflecting pool controversy are ?
Is it A) Ninja vandals B) Obama left too much of a mess to fix the pool C) We don't have all the facts yet and oblade'll give his opinion on this when the official reports comes out in 2 years
Controversy lol.
I feel, based on your two-word answer, like you don't understand why there would be a controversy, or if there is, that it's a meaningless or unimportant one.
So let me break it down in some more specific questions:
A) How do you feel about no-bid contracts being given out by washington for Millions of tax-payer dollars to possibly friends and donors ? Is it ok for the president/government to hand these out ?
Dude.
The pool is broken.
In the 4th Century, Aristotle wrote: For it is a characteristic of an educated man to look for as much precision in each subject as the nature of a particular area of enquiry admits.
Fix the pool.
Millions of dollars is exactly correct. It's not a $200 job and it's not a billion dollar job.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: B) How do you feel about the president unilaterally deciding on renovations, major changes to landmarks (reflecting pool, white house) without approval from the responsible federal authorities? Are you generally fine with the president bypassing all legal process to get things moving faster ?
Today you learned, to your chagrin, that as actually elected president, whether you like it or not, Trump is the top figure in the entire government and has valid and significant legal authorities that the, let's say, "hall monitor" class of "real government" that you imagine he reports to, does not overrule.
You also learned that no-bid contracts are EXPLICITLY allowed by statute SPECIFICALLY because of urgency, like for example my beautiful country's upcoming 250th birthday.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: C) What is your opinion on the cause of the new-reflecting pool being filled with algae and the coating being damaged ? If the answer is not "Vandals", are you generally fine with the president blatantly lying about it on TV ? If the answer is "Vandals", could you provide a quick and plausible explanation on how the vandals managed to to pull this off with guards and cctv around ?
Refer to A: The pool is broken.
This can be because it's a 2,000 foot long pool that has been subsiding for decades.
It can be because of vandals.
It can be because of both.
The answer is: Fix the pool.
You do not know DC. I've seen people smoking weed in gazebos* on the grounds of the Capitol.
Your faux skepticism outrage worldview of "How could the people who did this without being arrested or identified possibly do anything to the reflecting pool? Why would any mentally ill person exist who wants to vandalize something they see as being connected to Blumpf?" lacks persuasive merit.
Was there a vandal who did something to the reflecting pool? Certainly plausible. Is that the single and main and but-for cause of the pool needing more work? Answer:Fix the pool.
If today's the day you want to pretend to be a pool expert also I'll entertain your good-faith detailed theories so long as France will agree to foot the bill for the Statue of Liberty's centennial renovations.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: Thank you for your attention to this matter.
"Even my personality and speech is being assimilated into the person I'm obsessed with"
I never said we shouldn't fix the pool ? Why are you repeating "fix the pool !" ?
I understand your argument is "There was urgency for ´fixing' the pool before July 4th, therefore a no-bid contract is acceptable and legal.". My questions to you: 1) Couldn't this have been forseen since the 250th birthday is not a surprise ? 2) If one is forced to do a no-bid contract, in a normal presidency, wouldn't they want to chose a company that they do not have any links to ? Wouldn't one also want to chose a company that has experience in the sort of works that are required ? I'm asking for your personal opinion, I'm not asking you to tell me "Trump did it, he's the authority and therefore it's legal"
Regarding your answer to B), are you saying that congress (and the people that congress have given power to) are mere "hallway monitors" and the president can disregard the law when he sees fit ?
If I understood correctly, your answer to C) is you don't know why the pool is full of algae with paint pealing off. (And also "fix the pool!"). I agree with you the pool must be fixed. With that out of the way, here is my theory as to why the pool is broken today. Trump gave away a multi-million no-bid contract to his friends and donors who had no prior experience working on a structure of this scale. The team made mistakes, applied an improper coating and didn't take into account temperature rises that come from painting something a darker color. Now Trump os lying about it to protect his friends saying vandals did this. This seems very unlikely seeing that the paint is pealing off over 300feet. That's my theory regarding why a pool that's just been fixed for millions of dollars is still broken today. I'm not saying it's the absolute truth, I'm just saying that that is what makes the most sense to me currently.
Can you give me your reasonable explanation for why the pool is still broken a week after it has been repaired ?
This seems reasonable, but have you considered the counterpoint:
Ninjas with boxcutters and a hatred of pool linings.
Occam's razor is likely the tool they used to slice the pool lining undetected.
The peeling paint and algae looks like government incompetence. If there's anything to the intentional vandalism arrests, the government will have to show the evidence in court. I saw 5 arrested.
What do you mean government incompetence ? I'm assuming the government asked for a pool with no algae or peeling paint. It looks more like contractor incompetence. Or do you mean the government was incompetent because they chose the wrong contractor for the job ?
"The buck stops here". If you hire a guy to do a job, and they are utterly and obviously incapable of doing that job, some of the blame usually falls with you. Especially if that should have been obvious since they clearly do not have the necessary experience.
If you pay someone 14 million dollar to do a thing, you should probably invest some due diligence to see that they are the right person for that job.
If the contractor weren't a Trump donor picked for blatantly corrupt reasons, we'd probably have a laugh about the algae but it wouldn't be a major scandal.
It's the combination of nepotism, incompetence, and mouth-foaming about Obama that turned it into a disgrace.
On June 24 2026 05:44 KT_Elwood wrote: Well demolishing 1/3 of the White house, having a military parade or a cage fight for his birthdays and the algea-pool aren't a scandal anymore.
The next President should blow up the statue of liberty on 4th of july.
And Smoke Tarylightons.. or FUCK YOU.
I don't know, I think the same effect can be reached by wearing a tan suit.
On June 24 2026 05:44 KT_Elwood wrote: Well demolishing 1/3 of the White house, having a military parade or a cage fight for his birthdays and the algea-pool aren't a scandal anymore.
The next President should blow up the statue of liberty on 4th of july.
And Smoke Tarylightons.. or FUCK YOU.
I don't know, I think the same effect can be reached by wearing a tan suit.
You might also need to eat the wrong kind of mustard.
On June 23 2026 14:56 Falling wrote: Very good to know that the Arab HUSSEIN Obama and Biden spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the reflecting pool, but he, Donald J Trump, has only spent $14 million (so far) on a no vid contract to donor and neighbour to Donald J Trump.
But if only there weren't so many vandals. Vandals and wreckers. Cutting 290, or 300 foot slit in the Reflecting Pool without anyone noticing. Amazing.
I have a pavlovian reflex to ask oblade what his thoughts on the reflecting pool controversy are ?
Is it A) Ninja vandals B) Obama left too much of a mess to fix the pool C) We don't have all the facts yet and oblade'll give his opinion on this when the official reports comes out in 2 years
Controversy lol.
I feel, based on your two-word answer, like you don't understand why there would be a controversy, or if there is, that it's a meaningless or unimportant one.
So let me break it down in some more specific questions:
A) How do you feel about no-bid contracts being given out by washington for Millions of tax-payer dollars to possibly friends and donors ? Is it ok for the president/government to hand these out ?
Dude.
The pool is broken.
In the 4th Century, Aristotle wrote: For it is a characteristic of an educated man to look for as much precision in each subject as the nature of a particular area of enquiry admits.
Fix the pool.
Millions of dollars is exactly correct. It's not a $200 job and it's not a billion dollar job.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: B) How do you feel about the president unilaterally deciding on renovations, major changes to landmarks (reflecting pool, white house) without approval from the responsible federal authorities? Are you generally fine with the president bypassing all legal process to get things moving faster ?
Today you learned, to your chagrin, that as actually elected president, whether you like it or not, Trump is the top figure in the entire government and has valid and significant legal authorities that the, let's say, "hall monitor" class of "real government" that you imagine he reports to, does not overrule.
You also learned that no-bid contracts are EXPLICITLY allowed by statute SPECIFICALLY because of urgency, like for example my beautiful country's upcoming 250th birthday.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: C) What is your opinion on the cause of the new-reflecting pool being filled with algae and the coating being damaged ? If the answer is not "Vandals", are you generally fine with the president blatantly lying about it on TV ? If the answer is "Vandals", could you provide a quick and plausible explanation on how the vandals managed to to pull this off with guards and cctv around ?
Refer to A: The pool is broken.
This can be because it's a 2,000 foot long pool that has been subsiding for decades.
It can be because of vandals.
It can be because of both.
The answer is: Fix the pool.
You do not know DC. I've seen people smoking weed in gazebos* on the grounds of the Capitol.
Your faux skepticism outrage worldview of "How could the people who did this without being arrested or identified possibly do anything to the reflecting pool? Why would any mentally ill person exist who wants to vandalize something they see as being connected to Blumpf?" lacks persuasive merit.
Was there a vandal who did something to the reflecting pool? Certainly plausible. Is that the single and main and but-for cause of the pool needing more work? Answer:Fix the pool.
If today's the day you want to pretend to be a pool expert also I'll entertain your good-faith detailed theories so long as France will agree to foot the bill for the Statue of Liberty's centennial renovations.
On June 23 2026 21:20 Geiko wrote: Thank you for your attention to this matter.
"Even my personality and speech is being assimilated into the person I'm obsessed with"
I never said we shouldn't fix the pool ? Why are you repeating "fix the pool !" ?
I understand your argument is "There was urgency for ´fixing' the pool before July 4th, therefore a no-bid contract is acceptable and legal.". My questions to you: 1) Couldn't this have been forseen since the 250th birthday is not a surprise ? 2) If one is forced to do a no-bid contract, in a normal presidency, wouldn't they want to chose a company that they do not have any links to ? Wouldn't one also want to chose a company that has experience in the sort of works that are required ? I'm asking for your personal opinion, I'm not asking you to tell me "Trump did it, he's the authority and therefore it's legal"
Regarding your answer to B), are you saying that congress (and the people that congress have given power to) are mere "hallway monitors" and the president can disregard the law when he sees fit ?
If I understood correctly, your answer to C) is you don't know why the pool is full of algae with paint pealing off. (And also "fix the pool!"). I agree with you the pool must be fixed. With that out of the way, here is my theory as to why the pool is broken today. Trump gave away a multi-million no-bid contract to his friends and donors who had no prior experience working on a structure of this scale. The team made mistakes, applied an improper coating and didn't take into account temperature rises that come from painting something a darker color. Now Trump os lying about it to protect his friends saying vandals did this. This seems very unlikely seeing that the paint is pealing off over 300feet. That's my theory regarding why a pool that's just been fixed for millions of dollars is still broken today. I'm not saying it's the absolute truth, I'm just saying that that is what makes the most sense to me currently.
Can you give me your reasonable explanation for why the pool is still broken a week after it has been repaired ?
This seems reasonable, but have you considered the counterpoint:
Ninjas with boxcutters and a hatred of pool linings.
Occam's razor is likely the tool they used to slice the pool lining undetected.
The peeling paint and algae looks like government incompetence. If there's anything to the intentional vandalism arrests, the government will have to show the evidence in court. I saw 5 arrested.
Yeah the 5 arrested is the most interesting to me in the things said because it's the most concrete thing that was said. I imagine further information on that front makes Trump look stupid, but I also don't think it's impossible for someone to have suddenly made it look like people were arrested for cutting the pool lining with a knife.
On June 23 2026 23:19 KwarK wrote: I think had Trump fixed the pool people would not make an issue out of it. What he has done is filled it with algae and lies at great taxpayer expense. Presenting this as “why would people be against fixing the pool” is a bit silly.
I disagree. I think whatever would happen with the pool, it still would became an issue. ( I mean, it is already quite hilarious that pool is an issue worth discussing on US politics thread). There is a reason, why some people on the right joke that Trump should say: "Breathing is good, may sure you keep breathing"
It would be a bigger story in most democracies, because giving a one bid contract to a donor for way more than it should cost, would be illegal, even if it wasn’t a massive fuck up. And then being so inexperienced and moronic that they keep making it worse.
But in the US it’s a big story because of Trump making it so by doubling and tripling down on stupidity, such as fighting with a guy in a frog suit for making a joke and arresting furious people checking it out.
Everywhere else he would be long gone or more likely in jail. But in the US a significant group of extremely dumb and gullible people treat him like a religious figure. Hell there are morons abroad that still think he’s smart and capable.
But people here are discussing it because unlike most of his colossal fuck ups have global implications. This one we can just make fun of his corrupt, low iq, senile ass.
What the pool needs is a massive rip up of the grounds around the pool to repair the pipes and install proper filters. It would take maybe a hundred million dollars or more and take months if not a year to finish.
The pool is a perfect representation of the Regime, incompetent coruption combined with rampant stupidity on levels you see in third world nations. The plan Trump had was never going to work and simply didn't work, the fix just made everything worse.
On June 23 2026 23:19 KwarK wrote: I think had Trump fixed the pool people would not make an issue out of it. What he has done is filled it with algae and lies at great taxpayer expense. Presenting this as “why would people be against fixing the pool” is a bit silly.
I disagree. I think whatever would happen with the pool, it still would became an issue. ( I mean, it is already quite hilarious that pool is an issue worth discussing on US politics thread). There is a reason, why some people on the right joke that Trump should say: "Breathing is good, may sure you keep breathing"
Yeah, Trump should say that... instead of his ignorant, racist, and fascist rants.
On June 23 2026 23:19 KwarK wrote: I think had Trump fixed the pool people would not make an issue out of it. What he has done is filled it with algae and lies at great taxpayer expense. Presenting this as “why would people be against fixing the pool” is a bit silly.
I disagree. I think whatever would happen with the pool, it still would became an issue. ( I mean, it is already quite hilarious that pool is an issue worth discussing on US politics thread). There is a reason, why some people on the right joke that Trump should say: "Breathing is good, may sure you keep breathing"
I think it's the fucking funniest thing on Earth when MAGAts are like "you people would complain if Trump cured cancer" while Republicans are literally cutting funding to research cancer (specifically for children too).
EPT![[image loading]](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/7718f15f-6b39-4edc-b773-e1ed17255dda/dc-8647-1-rt-gmh-260611_1781209424805_hpMain.jpg)
