Journalist and Trump biographer Michael Wolff has claimed that President Donald Trump is spending “60, 70, 80%” of his time focused on the Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, despite other major domestic and international issues confronting his administration.
Speaking on The Daily Beast’s YouTube channel, Wolff said conversations with people inside the White House suggested Trump has become increasingly preoccupied with the landmark following problems that emerged after its recent renovation.
According to The Mirror US, Wolff said there was “clear concern” among some administration officials over how much of the president’s attention the issue was receiving.
Reflecting Pool faces renovation setback
The Reflecting Pool is reportedly set to be drained again after bright green algae and peeling paint appeared only weeks after a multi-million-dollar renovation. Trump has publicly blamed vandals for the damage.
Describing what he had been told by White House sources, Wolff claimed the president was directing much of his anger toward identifying those responsible for the project’s problems.
Also Read: What’s happening to the Reflecting Pool? Blue material peels off after Trump-ordered renovation
“Trump is devoting almost all of his time to the reflecting pool, all of his anger, all of his rage, all of his demands. And now his need for vengeance. Someone needs to be responsible,” Wolff said.
He added that people he had spoken to estimated the issue was consuming “60, 70, 80%” of Trump’s time.
‘A little unusual, even for Donald Trump’
Wolff said the president’s reported focus on the Reflecting Pool had left some White House insiders uncertain about how to interpret the situation.
Calling it “a little unusual, even for Donald Trump,” Wolff argued that Trump’s decision to remain personally involved, rather than leaving the matter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, stood out.
He also suggested the Reflecting Pool had become symbolic of frustrations facing the administration, including challenges surrounding a fragile Iran peace process, declining polling numbers and concerns over the upcoming midterm elections.
Also Read: Reflecting Pool algae row: Who is Jonathan Karl? Trump calls out ABC reporter while blaming vandals
Wolff speculates on possible reasons
During the discussion, Wolff speculated that Trump’s behaviour could reflect a sense of losing control over larger political issues. He also mentioned the possibility of dementia but said he was “against diagnosing people.”
Separately, psychologist Dr. John Gartner told The Daily Beast podcast that he was “alarmed by the rapid pace of Trump’s deterioration.”
Neither Wolff nor Gartner presented medical evidence to support those remarks, and no official medical diagnosis has been made public regarding Trump’s health.
Trump and the White House have not publicly responded to Wolff’s latest claims.
