{"id":48924,"date":"2026-06-29T12:00:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T19:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=48924"},"modified":"2026-06-29T12:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T19:00:14","slug":"as-trumps-reflecting-pool-disaster-turns-dystopian-fully-dressed-mamdani-jumps-into-nyc-public-pool-with-a-joyful-smile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/06\/29\/as-trumps-reflecting-pool-disaster-turns-dystopian-fully-dressed-mamdani-jumps-into-nyc-public-pool-with-a-joyful-smile\/","title":{"rendered":"As Trump\u2019s Reflecting Pool Disaster Turns \u2018Dystopian,\u2019 Fully-Dressed Mamdani Jumps Into NYC Public Pool With a Joyful Smile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/zohran-mamdani-jumps-into-a-public-pool.png?id=67053137&amp;width=1200&amp;height=400&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=0%2C29%2C0%2C61\" alt=\"Zohran Mamdani jumps into a public pool \"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani jumps into a public pool fully dressed in East Harlem on Saturday, June 27, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0(Photo: Screengrab\/video\/Liam Quigley)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201cHe\u2019s in the running as best mayor NYC has ever had. Look out LaGuardia.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/jon-queally\">Jon Queally<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jun 27, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the disastrous saga surrounding President Donald Trump\u2019s efforts to make the Reflecting Pool in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/washington\">Washington<\/a>, DC more, uh,&nbsp;<em>reflective<\/em>\u2014the democratic socialist&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/new-york-city\">New York City<\/a>&nbsp;Mayor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a>&nbsp;brought more fresh joy to his city on Saturday by jumping into one of the city\u2019s public pools\u2014fully dressed in a suit and tie\u2014with a smile on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scenes could not be more symbolically divergent as critics of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/opinion\/reflection-pool-algae-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mess Trump<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/opinion\/reflection-pool-algae-trump\">&nbsp;has created<\/a>&nbsp;in DC\u2014where ducks are reportedly dying, a mysterious number of people have now been given criminal citations, fences have been erected, and an \u201cOrwellian\u201d recording telling people they are not allowed to \u201cloiter\u201d in one of the nation\u2019s capital\u2019s most iconic parks\u2014reached new levels of absurdity over recent days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>RECOMMENDED&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/trump-pool-dead-ducks\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/a-duckling-swims-through-algae-in-the-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-on-june-18-2026-in-washington-dc.jpg?id=67021225&amp;width=1200&amp;height=1200&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=170%2C0%2C171%2C0\" alt=\"Experts Fear Trump Has Turned Reflecting Pool Into a 'Giant Duck Death Trap'\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/trump-pool-dead-ducks\">Experts Fear Trump Has Turned Reflecting Pool Into a \u2018Giant Duck Death Trap\u2019<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/trump-reflecting-pool-disaster\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/a-duck-and-her-ducklings-swim-through-algae-in-the-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-on-june-18-2026-in-washington-dc.jpg?id=66965038&amp;width=1200&amp;height=1200&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=170%2C0%2C171%2C0\" alt=\"Trump's Reflecting Pool Disaster Exposed as More Details Revealed on Firm That Won No-Bid Contract\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/trump-reflecting-pool-disaster\">Trump\u2019s Reflecting Pool Disaster Exposed as More Details Revealed on Firm That Won No-Bid Contract<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, as Trump\u2019s claims of arrests made amid unproven allegations of \u201cvandalism\u201d are being met with growing suspicion and derision, this was Mayor Mamdani as he joined with city residents to celebrate the beginning of the summer pool season:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udca6 Mayor Mamdani kicked off NYC\u2019s outdoor pool season today by jumping into the Thomas Jefferson Pool in East Harlem!<br><br>This year marks the 90th anniversary of New York City\u2019s iconic WPA-era outdoor pools. Summer is officially here! \u2600\ufe0f\ud83c\udfca\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\ud83c\udf0a <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Km6eUjdyMa\">pic.twitter.com\/Km6eUjdyMa<\/a><\/p>&mdash; New York City Kopp (@NYCkopp) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NYCkopp\/status\/2070885003047706857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 27, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMamdani kicked off NYC\u2019s outdoor pool season today by jumping into the Thomas Jefferson Pool in East Harlem!\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NYCkopp\/status\/2070885003047706857\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">declared<\/a>&nbsp;the photographer who took the video. \u201cThis year marks the 90th anniversary of New York City\u2019s iconic WPA-era outdoor pools. Summer is officially here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As The Gothamist&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gothamist.com\/news\/nyc-pools-open-for-the-summer-90-years-after-robert-moses-expanded-access-to-swimming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>One Day Left and Our Mid-Year Campaign is Still Falling Short<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The only way Common Dreams\u2019 people-powered media model can survive is with the support of readers like you. Will you become a sustaining monthly donor today to keep our progressive, nonprofit journalism alive?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>The parks department is honoring the 90th anniversary of the summer of 1936, when then-Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and city Parks Commissioner Robert Moses opened 11 large pools across the five boroughs. They served as a place to cool off during the Great Depression \u2014 and were part of a wave of New York City public works projects funded by the New Deal\u2019s Works Progress Administration.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Mamdani has been running on a political high in recent weeks. After leading joyful celebrations of the New York Knicks becoming NBA world champions after a 53-year&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/drought\">drought<\/a>, the democratic socialist mayor also claimed big political victories this week with a trifecta win for the congressional candidates he endorsed in the Democratic primary on Tuesday as well as a city council vote that delivered on his campaign promise to freeze rent for city residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re so excited to be celebrating 90 years of public swimming in our city,\u201d Mamdani told reporters after his fully-dressed dip. \u201cThis is a moment that New Yorkers are celebrating across the five boroughs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/work-continues-on-d-c-s-reflecting-pool-amid-ongoing-restoration-problems.jpg?id=67053231&amp;width=1400&amp;height=700&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=0%2C166%2C0%2C167\" alt=\"Work Continues On D.C.'s Reflecting Pool Amid Ongoing Restoration Problems\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><small>A fence surrounds the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. An increased law enforcement presence has been around the area after claims made by President Trump that vandalism was the cause of the damage. (Photo by Andrew Leyden\/Getty Images)<\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier this month, Mamdani and NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/mayors-office\/news\/2026\/06\/mayor-mamdani-and-parks-commissioner-shimamura-expand-free-learn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a>&nbsp;the opening of registration for an expanded number of free summer Learn to Swim classes at 18 outdoor pools across the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEvery child deserves to enjoy the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/water\">water<\/a>&nbsp;safely,\u201d Mamdani said at the time. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re expanding free swim lessons across the five boroughs\u2014giving more young New Yorkers access to an essential life skill, saving families money and making sure every child feels confident in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s in the running as best mayor NYC has ever had,\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Filmantopia\/status\/2070898584162349344\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>&nbsp;filmmaker Jesse Newman in response to Saturday\u2019s footage from Harlem. \u201cLook out LaGuardia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the nation\u2019s capital, however, \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rawstory.com\/reflecting-pool-2677120271\/\" target=\"_blank\">dystopian<\/a>\u201d scenes continued as National Guard troops continued to guard the Reflecting Pool at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial from anyone who might \u201ctouching the water\u201d as a so-called \u201csurveillance machine\u201d told passersby that \u201cLoitering is not permitted in this area. Please proceed to a designated location.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cLoitering is not permitted in this area. Please proceed to a designated location. Thank you for your cooperation,\u201d a surveillance machine tells a small cluster of National Guard troops as they patrol the fenced off Reflecting Pool in the rain. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5yGSOZbtgv\">pic.twitter.com\/5yGSOZbtgv<\/a><\/p>&mdash; amanda moore \ud83d\udc22 (@noturtlesoup17) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/noturtlesoup17\/status\/2070637280721506429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 26, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is absolutely insane,\u201d exclaimed Allegria Harpootlian, who works for the ACLU, in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/social-media\">social media<\/a>\u00a0post. \u201cWhat is a park meant for if not for \u2018loitering\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/jon-queally\">Jon Queally<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jon Queally is managing editor of Common Dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/jon-queally\">Full Bio &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani jumps into a public pool fully dressed in East Harlem on Saturday, June 27, 2026. \u00a0(Photo: Screengrab\/video\/Liam Quigley) \u201cHe\u2019s in the running as best mayor NYC has ever had. Look out LaGuardia.\u201d Jon Queally Jun 27, 2026 (CommonDreams.org) As the disastrous saga surrounding President&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/06\/29\/as-trumps-reflecting-pool-disaster-turns-dystopian-fully-dressed-mamdani-jumps-into-nyc-public-pool-with-a-joyful-smile\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2006,1879],"tags":[1894],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48924"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48924"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48925,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48924\/revisions\/48925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}