Federal authorities have taken at least five people into custody over alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., while five additional individuals received citations, an administration official told NBC News. President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, warned that a 10-year prison sentence for destruction of federal monuments "will be fully enforced."
Among those arrested was David "Davey" Hearn, 67, a former three-time U.S. Olympic canoeist from Bethesda, Maryland. Hearn told NBC News he was detained for five hours after touching a piece of detached coating at the pool's edge. "I did not remove, I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool," Hearn told ABC News.
Trump, without providing evidence, claimed on Saturday that someone had used a blade to put a "250 foot long gash" into the pool's lining and poured corrosive chemicals into the water. By Monday, his Truth Social posts described the gash as 300 feet long, according to The Guardian. Neither figure has been substantiated by law enforcement.
Washington, D.C., U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro said anyone caught vandalizing the pool would face prosecution, according to BBC News. Trump said the pool would likely need to be drained again for repairs.
Since the renovation wrapped up, the pool has struggled with both a persistent algae bloom and chunks of paint peeling away from its floor, NPR reported. Aquatic ecologists who took water samples confirmed the algae, identified as Desmodesmus, is not toxic. What began as a project with a $2 million price tag ultimately ballooned to over $14 million by completion. Green Water Solutions, the company handling algae treatment at the site, secured a $1.7 million no-bid government contract for that work, according to The Associated Press. The company's owner, John J. Cafaro, gave $250,000 to the Trump Victory Committee in June 2020, according to NBC News.
Atlantic Industry Coatings, the contractor that completed the lining work, confirmed the pool would need to be drained for repairs, with costs covered under the project warranty, according to ABC News.
More on this story: Trump blames vandals for Reflecting Pool problems, says draining likely
Update, June 24, 2026: The U.S. Interior Department has released surveillance footage showing two suspects allegedly destroying and removing parts of the Reflecting Pool's lining on June 19, 2026, and confirmed the incident is under federal investigation.