President Trump said the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial was destroyed. Was it?
President Trump said vandals damaged the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. He was arrested, but is there any evidence of property damage?
Following President Donald Trump’s reports of vandalism to the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool, fencing was seen on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 24, ahead of the kickoff of the Great American State Fair.
The interior ministry said the fences, which are regularly erected to coincide with Independence Day events, will be erected early this year.
“The reflecting pool was always set up to be fenced in front of the four pools.”th of July. “As was the case several years ago, one of the firework launchers is located around the pool, so a fence has been installed to ensure public safety. Due to increased vandalism by left-wing activists, we are installing the fence sooner than originally planned to prevent further damage to this historic site,” the statement said.
As of Wednesday, people could still access the reflecting pool and walk freely around it.
Here’s what we know:
What’s going on in the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial?
Trump said fencing had already been installed around the pool throughout the spring during the two-month renovation, which was completed on June 6.
Since then, the pool has been plagued by problems such as green algae discoloring much of the water and causing paint to peel and float to the surface of the pool.
President Trump said on Truth Social on Tuesday, June 23, that six people were arrested for vandalizing the pool and blamed them for the damage.
“This is an act of vandalism,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “There’s a 290, 300-foot cut in there, probably some type of cutter or knife.”
“They slashed very roughly,” he added, without providing evidence.
President Trump deferred questions about the criminal investigation and proof of intentional damage to the pool to the National Park Service, which manages the National Mall where the pool is located, and its parent organization, the Department of the Interior. Neither agency immediately responded to USA TODAY’s requests for comment on the alleged vandalism.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the company that renovated the pool, said the areas requiring repairs are “a small portion of a 7-acre megaproject and do not indicate liner failure.”
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority has issued a permit to drain the 2,000-foot-long rectangular pool for repairs, USA TODAY previously reported.
Trump added on Truth Social that the reflecting pool remains “as beautiful as it can be.”
“Some of the water will be drained to make permanent repairs either right before or after Independence Day,” the post said.
The cost of the pool renovation rose to $16 million, according to federal contract records.
Where is the fence on the National Mall?
On Tuesday, fencing was seen near reflecting pools, including by the World War II Memorial.
They are not installed around the pool.
Most of the fencing was installed on a secondary walkway beyond the pool and closer to a nearby street, rather than on the sidewalk along the reflecting pool.
A sign on one of the fences read, “Danger: Explosives. Authorized Personnel Only,” marking an area where fireworks could be set off.
Great American State Fair Kickoff
Security has also been tightened at the Reflecting Pool and the surrounding area in preparation for the Great American State Fair, which is scheduled to open with President Trump on Wednesday, June 24th. The additional security is part of a larger ramp-up to protect the Freedom 250 event in the nation’s capital, backed by President Trump.
Other upcoming events include President Trump’s July 4th keynote address and what is expected to be the largest fireworks display in American history. In August, Washington, D.C. will also host the first IndyCar race around the nation’s capital.
Officials estimate the event will draw hundreds of thousands of people to the city over the next two months.
Federal officials say the security threat to the festival is more than theoretical. The rally came less than two weeks after authorities announced they had thwarted an elaborate plot involving drones and explosives against the Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament held at the White House on June 14.
This story has been updated to add new information.
