President Trump says law enforcement is investigating ‘vandalism’ at reflecting pool
President Donald Trump blamed vandalism for problems following a $16 million pool renovation in a post on Truth Social.
President Donald Trump said the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool will “probably” need to be drained to allow for additional repairs and blamed the action on “terrible vandals,” many of whom have been arrested.
“The acts of these horrific vandals are a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and should be dealt with accordingly,” President Trump said on social media on Saturday, June 20.
President Trump said “more people have been arrested” in connection with the “shameful vandalism of our beautiful reflecting pool.”
Multiple photos and videos over the past week showed freshly applied blue paint peeling off the pool’s surface amid an algae bloom.
After meeting with the contractor, the president said the pool, which had been “perfectly functioning,” had been severely damaged by corrosive and destructive chemicals poured into it, as well as “cracks” in its surface.
“The damage they did did not include cutting down a lot of grass, which was much less in the past,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “They used some form of knife or cutting tool to cut a 250-foot-long incision into the beautiful facade of a building that required a great deal of effort, skill, and money to construct and complete.”
President Trump said repairs would be completed “as soon as possible.”
The additional work comes about two weeks after President Trump announced work on the reflecting pool was complete as part of efforts to spruce up the landmark ahead of events commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
President Trump announced plans to renovate the reflecting pool in April, saying he had received complaints about leaks and a lack of cleanliness. Pool algae has been a recurring problem for decades.
The megaproject sparked controversy over its cost, which government contract records show exceeded $16 million, and the choice to paint underwater features “American flag blue.”
Contributed by Jeanine Santucci
