President Donald Trump said Saturday that vandalism and sabotage had damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following a multimillion-dollar renovation project in Washington, D.C.
Trump made the claim in a post on Truth Social, where he said individuals had targeted the recently renovated landmark and surrounding grounds.
The comments came after reports of an algae bloom and peeling blue coating material appearing in the Reflecting Pool shortly after renovation work was completed earlier this month.
According to the administration, the project cost between $14 million and $15 million and included draining the pool, cleaning it and applying a blue resurfacing material described as “American flag blue.”
Refilling of the pool began around June 4 and June 5 ahead of celebrations tied to the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
“We’ve cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues and 22 Fountains in Washington, D.C.,” Trump wrote in the social media post.
“However, we’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial,” he added.
Trump alleged that vandals had damaged both the grounds surrounding the pool and the newly installed interior surface.
“Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed,” the president wrote.
He further claimed that chemicals similar to those previously used on the National Mall had been introduced into the Reflecting Pool in an effort to damage the project.
Trump did not provide evidence in the post to support the allegations or identify any suspects connected to the reported sabotage.
The president said the algae problem had largely been resolved as of Saturday morning and predicted repairs to the pool would be completed by the end of the week.
Trump also linked the reported damage to other incidents that have occurred near the National Mall in recent weeks.
Among those incidents were markings displaying the numbers “8647” that were found etched into grass near the Reflecting Pool in mid-June.
The president also referenced graffiti that had reportedly been discovered on the drained surface of the pool while renovation work was underway in May.
According to Trump, law enforcement authorities are investigating the situation surrounding the Reflecting Pool.
One arrest was reported Friday at the site after U.S. Park Police detained a cyclist near the pool, per Trending Politics.
The individual was identified in reports as former Olympian David Hearn.
According to reports, Hearn was observed interacting with detached pieces of blue liner or coating material located near the Reflecting Pool.
Hearn denied causing damage to the site and said he touched the material but did not destroy, break or peel any portion of it.
Authorities have not announced any charges linking Hearn to the broader allegations of chemical sabotage or intentional damage described by Trump.
No additional arrests have been reported in connection with the claims involving the Reflecting Pool.
Officials have not publicly released further details regarding the alleged vandalism or the status of the ongoing investigation.
The Reflecting Pool remains one of the most visited landmarks in the nation’s capital, stretching between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
