Trump Announces Immediate Repairs to Reflecting Pool
President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that repair work would commence immediately on the beleaguered Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington DC, following what he described as serious vandalism. The pool, which underwent a costly $14.2 million renovation in preparation for America's 250th anniversary celebrations next month, has been plagued by algae blooms and peeling paint.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday evening, Trump stated, "Work will begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool. I just inspected it, and could only say to myself, and those gathered around me, WOW, who would do such a thing?" He did not provide further details on the alleged vandalism.
Previous Statements and Allegations
Trump had earlier indicated that after meeting with pool contractors, they would "probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible." He acknowledged "real problems" with the pool but attributed them to vandals, claiming "many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool."
CBS News reporter Emma Nicholson tweeted that an administration official told her five people had been arrested for vandalizing the pool and five others issued federal citations, bringing the total police reports to 14, including one related to an alleged 250-foot gash in the pool.
Arrests and Legal Actions
Three-time Olympian David Hearn, who was apprehended, told the Washington Post that he had merely stopped by the pool to touch a peeling piece of paint liner when he was arrested by US park police on a misdemeanor charge. Trump gave no details on other apparent arrests, and exact details remained scarce on Sunday afternoon.
US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, stated on Sunday afternoon that citations for vandalism had been issued and those caught vandalizing the 2,000-foot-long reflecting pool would be fully prosecuted. "Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize will face the criminal justice system in DC," Pirro told Fox News's Sunday Briefing. She added that anyone adding products to the pool that could generate algae might face more severe charges, though no statistics or specific arrest details were provided.
Remedial Efforts and Trump's Claims
Workers from the US National Park Service have sought chemical remedies for the algae bloom, including pouring hydrogen peroxide into the shallow pool, which is estimated to reach temperatures over 85°F in summer. Trump posted on social media that 75% of the algae was gone on Friday, when he first raised the issue of vandalism and accused ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl of "trying to rip the rubber off of the surface" of the pool. ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump claimed that after the expensive renovations, which included painting the bottom of the long pond on the National Mall dark blue, the pool was reflecting better than ever. "It hasn't looked or worked like this since 1922, when it was originally built, but even then, it leaked badly, and didn't work," he wrote. "Ours worked perfectly, including the mirror like finish, perfectly reflecting the two Great Monuments, which it never had before!" He referred to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
Cryptic References and Previous Incidents
Trump cryptically cited vandals, possibly the same ones who had previously scorched or etched "8647" — numeric slang for canceling Trump, the 47th president — into the lawn near the pool earlier this month. He said the alleged pool damage "does not even include the earlier killing of a large amount of grass which was, by far, the least of it" and accused vandals of taking "some form of knife or blade, and put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade and of pouring chemicals into the pool," again without specific details.
