Algae growth and peeling paint have dogged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool since a $14.7 million renovation wrapped up, and President Donald Trump — pointing blame at saboteurs without evidence — said the landmark will likely need at least a partial draining to set things right.
Across multiple Truth Social posts, Trump made two specific accusations without providing evidence: that someone had introduced what he called "corrosive and destructive chemicals" to the water, and that a person wielding "some form of knife or blade" had inflicted "a 250 foot long gash" on the pool's surface, according to ABC News. He offered no evidence for either claim. Trump said U.S. Park Police had arrested "multiple individuals" and warned that those responsible faced "years in jail."
The U.S. Park Police did not respond to questions from ABC News about any arrests. Among those Trump singled out was David Hearn, a 67-year-old who competed as a canoeist in three Olympics; he was taken into custody on June 20 on a misdemeanor destruction-of-government-property charge after pausing at the pool while out on a bike ride, The New York Times reported. Speaking to BBC News, Hearn said he pulled off his cycling glove to feel a strip of rubbery material that had already come away from the pool bottom — and that he was still doing so when officers moved in. "I didn't destroy, rip, tear, peel, or remove any part" of the paint, Hearn told the BBC. He is scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court on July 9, according to ABC News.
Trump also acknowledged the pool would need work, saying contractors had inspected the site and would "probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs," according to The Guardian.
Work that Trump touted under his "Make America Beautiful" banner was handed out through no-bid contracts; when the repainting deal is combined with a separate $1.74 million agreement for a filtration system, the total bill for taxpayers surpasses $16 million, according to ABC News. Trump had initially said the project would cost $1.8 million. Once water filled the pool again, green algae spread rapidly while the freshly applied blue floor coating deteriorated into curling strips within days — turning the site into an unlikely tourist draw and keeping National Park Service crews busy with cleanup, according to ABC News.
More on this story: $14 Million Reflecting Pool Renovation Unravels as Trump Points Finger at Vandals