Donald Trump has issued a personal order: fix the algae-choked Reflecting Pool. Immediately. And not with just anyone.
He wants British landscape experts on the job. The National Mall's iconic stretch of water has turned a murky green, a PR disaster for a president obsessed with optics. Sources inside the White House say Trump was 'furious' when he saw the state of the pool during a recent walk.
He demanded action. The usual federal agencies were deemed too slow. So, a call went out to the UK, to specialists from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and private firms known for their work on the Serpentine.
The game here is about image, control, and a touch of vanity. Trump sees the Reflecting Pool as his backdrop, a stage for power. He wants it pristine.
But the fix is a political minefield. Environmentalists were quick to criticise potential chemical treatments. The administration is playing down the cost, but whispers suggest it could run into the millions.
The real story is the turf war unfolding behind the scenes. The National Park Service wanted to handle it. They feel sidelined.
The British experts, however, are seen as a safer bet: no domestic political baggage. For Trump, this is a quick win. He can showcase his 'global network' and his ability to get things done.
For the British firms, it's a lucrative contract and a foot in the door. For everyone else, it's a reminder that in the Trump era, even a pond is a political chess piece. The polls?
They don't move. But the image of a clear pool might. Watch this space.
The water is about to get political.
