MAGA's Golf Club Activity Branded 'Gruesome' as Fish Were Dumped Into Chlorinated Pool for Kids to Catch

A children's activity at President Donald Trump's Virginia golf club has sparked a wave of online disgust after footage appeared to show small live fish being dumped into a chlorinated pool for children to catch.

The video, which circulated widely on social media on Thursday, shows children gathered in an ankle-deep wading pool at Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C. in Sterling, Virginia, excitedly trying to scoop up the fish while adults watched and joined in.

Children Were Seen Chasing Fish in the Pool

The footage shows the children moving around the shallow pool as they attempted to catch the small fish placed in the water.

PatriotTakes, a political account on X, shared the footage with the caption: 'At Trump's Virginia golf club, small fish were dumped into the swimming pool so kids could try to catch them.'

The club's website confirms that its Virginia property has a dedicated swimming area with both a 25-metre swimming pool and a wading pool designed for younger members. It also promotes the pool area as a place for families and children to gather.

The video quickly drew attention because the fish were apparently placed directly into water treated for human swimming rather than water designed to support aquatic life.

Chlorine Can Be Dangerous for Fish

The backlash centred heavily on the use of chlorinated pool water.

Warren, posting on X, claimed: 'The chlorine causes the fish to suffocate while also burning them alive. Most are dead within 15 minutes. But hey, the MAGA kids got to play.'

The claim about the exact 15-minute timeframe has not been independently established in the available reporting. However, veterinary guidance confirms that chlorine is highly toxic to fish. The Merck Veterinary Manual says chlorine and chloramine can cause adverse effects in fish at very low concentrations, with mortality possible at higher exposure levels.

The Food and Agriculture Organization also notes that chlorine can damage fish skin and gills, interfere with respiration and ultimately cause suffocation and death.

Online Critics Called the Activity 'Gruesome'

The footage triggered a flood of angry reactions, with critics questioning why live fish were used for a children's game in the first place.

Writer Amy Lynn Phillips Thatcher posted: 'You have to be a sick f*** to dump fish into a chemically treated pool for entertainment.'

Another user, Jo, simply asked: 'Ummm, won't this KILL the fish???'

Others compared the activity with harmless alternatives involving toys rather than living animals. One account wrote that organisers could have used rubber ducks instead, adding: 'There's no reason to do this with live fish.'

The criticism also became deeply political, with several commenters linking the incident to Trump's supporters and using the phrase 'MAGA kids'. Those reactions are opinions from individual social media users rather than established findings about the event or the people involved.

No independent evidence currently establishes how long the fish remained in the pool, how many died or what happened to them afterwards. The available footage and social media posts have nevertheless fuelled widespread criticism of the decision to use live fish in a chlorinated swimming environment.