Trump Blasts Alleged Vandalism of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Claims Sabotage and Immediate Repairs

President Trump unleashed a tirade on Truth Social, claiming that vandals inflicted serious damage on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which recently underwent a renovation costing over $14 million. He asserted that multiple arrests were made by the United States Park Police for what he labeled as deliberate sabotage.

Trump's posts painted a dire picture of the alleged vandalism, stating, "These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair." However, no law enforcement agency confirmed any arrests at the time of publication.

On Friday, a Maryland resident and former Olympian, David Hearn, faced charges for destroying government property. Hearn contended he merely touched a dislodged piece in the pool and denied any wrongdoing.

Trump vowed to drain the pool for repairs, framing the incident as an attack on American history. He stated, "We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs." He condemned the alleged actions as a "true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln."

In his posts, Trump described a 250-foot gash in the pool's newly renovated lining, claiming it was inflicted with a knife or blade. He also accused the vandals of pouring corrosive chemicals into the water.

The president linked the alleged vandalism to the pool's recent green discoloration, which occurred after it was refilled post-renovation. He referred to the pool's new color as "American flag blue," despite experts attributing the green hue to a natural algae bloom from the genus Desmodesmus, a common occurrence in shallow water bodies.

A professor from George Mason University confirmed that the algae present in the pool was not toxic, contradicting Trump's claims.

In April, Trump announced plans for the pool's color change ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He even shared a doctored image featuring himself and administration officials in swimsuits at the pool.

Trump defended the renovation work, asserting, "The Reflecting Pool was never so beautiful as it was just one week ago." The pool originally opened in 1923, not 1922 as he claimed.

The renovation project ballooned from an initial estimate of $2 million to over $14 million. A Virginia contractor received a no-bid contract for the work, while an Ohio company was paid approximately $1.7 million for ozone technology aimed at treating algae blooms.

The project faced legal challenges from the Cultural Landscape Foundation, which argued that required historic preservation reviews were bypassed. A federal judge had yet to rule on this case when the administration announced completion of the work.

The White House has not provided evidence linking vandalism to the pool's discoloration or any structural damage described by Trump.