Trump Unleashes Fury Over Reflecting Pool Vandalism, Claims 250-Foot Gash

Trump declared he would "likely be forced to release and drain much of the water" in the Reflecting Pool, following a vandal's act that left a "250-foot-long gash into the beautiful facade."

On Saturday evening, President Donald Trump announced he is emptying the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool again, citing extensive damage. He posted on Truth Social, claiming "many additional people have been arrested" for what he called "the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool," which he insisted "hasn't looked or worked like this since 1922, when it was originally built."

He boasted about the pool's previous condition, stating, "Ours worked perfectly, including the mirror-like finish, perfectly reflecting the two Great Monuments, which it never had before!" Trump condemned the vandals as a "true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln," demanding accountability.

Trump revealed he met with contractors on Saturday and stated he "will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs," promising swift action.

"What they have damaged does not even include the earlier killing of a large amount of grass which was, by far, the least of it," he wrote. He described the vandal's method: "They took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250-foot-long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence, and money to build and complete."

He further accused the vandals of pouring "corrosive and destructive chemicals into the Pool," amplifying his outrage.

Trump reminisced about the pool's recent beauty, stating, "The Reflecting Pool was never so beautiful as it was just one week ago, even going back to 1922 when it opened." He expressed pride in the restoration efforts and vowed to repair it quickly to restore its "equal level of Beauty." He signed off with a formal note: "Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

A former Olympian was among those arrested in connection with the vandalism. David Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist, faced a misdemeanor charge for destruction of government property but claimed he merely touched the liner of the pool.

Trump has struggled to justify why his $14-million-plus restoration project for the nation's 250th anniversary has faced setbacks. He criticized past administrations for allowing the pool to fall into disrepair, turning it into an algae-covered green. He had promised to line it with "American flag blue" to enhance its reflection of the Washington Monument.

However, shortly after unveiling the new pool, its blue hue quickly faded to green. Staff attempted to combat algae with chemicals, but this treatment caused the painted blue surface on the bottom to flake.

"We've had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool," Trump lamented. He noted that just three days prior, grass outside the pool was destroyed and that efforts were made to damage the newly installed interior surface.

He provided no specifics to support that assertion.