It’s Tuesday…
Shitshow’s public schedule for…
WFMZ.com (06/23/2026):
The Lehigh Valley is preparing for a presidential visit Tuesday afternoon, as President Donald Trump makes his first stop in the area this year.
[snip]
The president’s visit is set for Mack Trucks plant on Alburtis Road. The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the plant.
[snip]
Widespread traffic delays are expected throughout both Lehigh and Berks counties.
[snip]
However, with tariffs cited as one reason behind last year’s layoffs at Mack Trucks, he says President Trump faces a tougher sell when it comes to maintaining that support.
“Coming into the midterms, traditionally midterm elections swing in the opposite direction of the party in the White House, so the President wants to do whatever he can to shore up those midterm elections, super tight margins in the House and the Senate,” [Sam] Chen said.
WFMZ.com (06/23/2026).
I continue to give no fucks about the reflecting pool. The Puddle in Charge continues to give all the fucks.
I’d happily never think about the Reflecting Pool again. Unfortunately, Puddle appears committed to posting his way through whatever is happening over there, so here we are.
This morning’s episode involves a supposed vandal armed with razor blades, a 350-foot slash, damaged grass, arrests, citations, and assurances that the pool remains beautiful despite requiring yet another round of repairs.
Roll screen grabs…
ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl earned the ire of Puddle by reporting on the Art of the Peel…
ABC News (06/12/2026):
U.S. Park Police is investigating what it is calling vandalism after the numbers 86 and 47 were found marked in the grass on the National Mall, not far from the site of President Donald Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 event this weekend.
Images from EarthCam showed numbers on the lawn since at least Wednesday afternoon, with the number eight appearing most clearly as browned grass. It’s not clear what caused the grass to brown.
ABC News (06/12/2026).
Mandatory (05/04/2026):
A graffiti reading “86 47” was spray-painted in the empty Lincoln Memorial Pool on Friday, May 1, 2026, following the indictment of former FBI director James Comey over an image on social media that showed seashells laid out to spell “8647.” Many believe that “86 47” denotes murdering President Donald Trump, though those critical of the current administration have disputed the claim. The U.S. Park Police are currently investigating the vandalism.
[snip]
The U.S. Park Police are investigating the area surrounding the Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. “Around 7:20 a.m. this morning, the U.S. Park Police was notified by the National Park Service of approximately 15-by-30-foot ‘8647’ graffiti spray-painted in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool,” a Park Police spokesperson said. (via The Mirror).”
The Police said that the vandalism was “unacceptable and will not be tolerated on federal lands.” They also added that the “area has been secured and covered while cleanup is arranged.”
Mandatory (05/04/2026).
This one is from today. I took it out of order to place it with the above. That way I didn’t have to click the dailymail…
NBC News (06/22/2026):
The five arrests and citations to five additional individuals come in the wake of Trump saying Saturday, with no evidence so far, that vandals at the Reflecting Pool cut a 250-foot-long “gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence, and money to build and complete.”
Among those arrested was former U.S. Olympic canoeist David “Davey” Hearn, who previously told NBC News he was detained for five hours Friday after touching a piece of detached coating at the Reflecting Pool.
NBC News (06/22/2026).
As it turns out, one of the alleged Reflecting Pool supervillains has retained counsel and found a television camera.
During the same interview, Hearn’s attorney said his client received two misdemeanor citations and reminded everyone that touching water is not, in fact, a federal crime.
AP News (05/28/2026):
Former President Barack Obama presided over a multimillion-dollar renovation of the pool, but the final bill was nowhere near Trump’s estimate. And the Biden administration did not conduct any major work. As for Trump, federal spending records show that costs are significantly higher than he says.
[snip]
THE FACTS: This is false. The Obama administration spent at least $34 million on a massive, two-year reconstruction project that ended in 2012. No major repairs to the pool were done during the Biden administration. Trump has put the cost of the work on the pool at $1.5 million to $2 million, but records show that at least $14.8 million worth of contracts have been awarded for the project so far.
Repairs done under Obama addressed issues such as stagnant water, as well as the reality that the pool had begun to leak and sink into the land dredged from the Potomac River to build it. It was reengineered with a circulation and filtration system using river water from the nearby Tidal Basin instead of city drinking water. It was also made shallower to save water and its bottom was tinted gray to make the water darker and more reflective of the Washington Monument. Plus, paved paths were added.
AP News (05/28/2026).
This is an Open Thread
The struggle was real today. I was almost done and part of the house decided it didn’t need any stupid electricity. It’s been restored.
