Wednesday, June 24, 2026

The boy who broke the Reflecting Pool

A richly detailed editorial illustration depicts a muddy, pouting young boy unmistakably caricaturing Donald Trump, seated at the edge of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. His orange-tinged suit is stained with mud, his arms folded tightly across his chest, cheeks flushed with anger, and blond hair swept dramatically as he sulks after churning the water into a filthy mess. The Reflecting Pool is strewn with branches, debris, litter, and swirling mud, with muddy footprints leading from the bank into the water. Behind the child, a large crowd of smiling, applauding supporters wave American flags and beam with approval, seemingly oblivious to the destruction before them. In the far distance, a lone maintenance worker quietly mops the polluted pool in weary resignation beneath the Lincoln Memorial, while the Washington Monument rises beyond. The composition functions as a satirical political allegory contrasting adulation with accountability.
generated via Gemini

US Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) demands Trump be made to pay out of his pocket for the damage to the Reflecting Pool. {The New Republic 24 June}

https://newrepublic.com/post/212284/senator-john-hickenlooper-trump-pay-reflecting-pool

Bravo to this idea. Alas, he shall never be made to pay for anything… not in this life, anyway. And if the evangelicals and fundamentalists are correct and he is Jesus’ right-hand man on earth, then I suppose Jesus shall forever shield him from consequence. At this point, I am inclined to believe that Jesus does hate us so very much as to inflict this insufferable douchebag upon America for years yet to come. (Yes, I know he is decrepit, but fate appears determined to keep him living for another twenty years or longer — probably serving as president the whole time, for he is not leaving office alive.) The American people decided, several times over now, that Donald Trump is above the law, and for the time being this is so. Taxpayers shall pay for the clean-up of the Reflecting Pool — not merely a damaged landmark, but a national symbol — and shall thank their hero for the privilege and honour of cleaning up his mess.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.