The debacle of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool continues to get worse, with President Donald Trump claiming that vandals have damaged the pool’s recently installed $16.4 million paint liner.
Trump made the claim to reporters at the White House on Monday (June 22), saying a “350-foot slit” was made through the lining with a “boxcutter or knife of some kind.” He doubled down, adding, “I saw it. They cut it. They cut it very violently. The same thing with the floor. They cut it and then they lifted it. They pulled it. And that’s what it is.”
When asked for evidence, Trump didn’t offer any but directed reporters to the Department of the Interior. “14 police reports have been filed for vandalism, including the crime described in the President’s Truth Social post,” a statement from the agency said. “The U.S. Park Police will continue to carry out their number one duty of upholding law and order in our nation’s capital.”
Those 14 people consisted of apparent passersby, including David Carter Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist. Hearn claimed he stopped by the edge of the pool out of curiosity, touching a piece of the peeling “American flag blue” paint. He was arrested by U.S. Park Police and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.
The problems with the pool since the no-bid renovation – a source of extreme controversy since Trump claimed it would only cost $2 million – occurred almost immediately, as algae began to form on the bottom. While Trump claimed that “fertilizer” was the cause, scientists state that it is a natural occurrence, especially given the weather conditions in the Washington, D.C., area.
But another issue has arose – the smell. A freelance photographer shared a photo of the pool being drained in a post on X, formerly Twitter, calling it out.