President Donald Trump has blamed vandals for damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This comes just weeks after his administration completed a $14 million renovation. Paint began peeling from the newly refurbished surface days after it was refilled. This drew criticism to a project the president once said “could last for 100 years.”
Donald Trump says vandals destroyed the reflecting pool
Trump said on Truth Social that repairs would begin “immediately” after he “inspected” the pool during an aerial tour aboard Marine One. “WOW, who would do such a thing? SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE! We will fix it?” The announcement followed a weekend of heightened officer presence around the landmark, where they issued arrests and citations to visitors accused of interacting with peeling off the American Flag Blue paint.
The president floated a pair of accusations. First, he claimed corrosive chemicals had been dumped into the water. Second, he alleged someone used a blade to slash a 250-foot gash across the newly laid surface. An administration official backed part of that narrative, confirming 14 police reports had been filed, one matching the description of a long cut (via Washington Post).
Moreover, weekend visitors got more than a view of peeling paint. Park Police, U.S. Marshals, and sheriff’s deputies from multiple states fanned out on foot and horseback, watching for anyone who touched the debris. By Saturday night, the tally stood at five arrests and five federal citations. The outlet’s reporter watched a sixth citation handed out Sunday afternoon by a mounted officer who told a young man he was avoiding jail only because he seemed “cooperative.”
One woman detained by Marshals argued that she had plucked a floating paint chip from the water, assuming it was litter. Another person charged admitted touching the peeling surface but insisted he caused no damage. Authorities have declined to disclose the full scope of enforcement or clarify what specific acts triggered each charge.
The renovation was a signature piece of Trump’s push to polish Washington ahead of America’s 250th birthday festivities. Instead, it has delivered drained expectations. The president now says the pool will likely need to be emptied once more.
