Vandalism at Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
President Trump announced on Saturday that U.S. Park Police have arrested several individuals linked to vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, emphasizing that restoration efforts will commence shortly.
Trump stated, “U.S. Park Police have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our nation’s spectacular reflecting pools. Who would do that? These are very serious crimes related to the destruction of national monuments. Years in prison! Repair work will begin immediately.”
On Friday, he mentioned his administration had “cleaned, renovated, and beautified 45 monuments, 28 statues, and 22 fountains in Washington, D.C.,” but acknowledged facing “real issues with vandalism” at the reflecting pool. He pointed out that some individuals had harmed the grass outside the pool and attempted to damage the newly installed interior surface.
Trump elaborated, “Just as they destroyed the lawn outside the pool three days ago, they did everything possible to damage the inside surface that had just been installed. They used the same chemicals on the Reflecting Pool, no different than the chemicals used on the National Mall, to try to destroy and degrade our beautiful work.”
He noted that algae is “75% gone” and assured that the remaining issues will be “completely repaired shortly,” indicating that the damaged areas are considered minor and should be fixed by early next week. He also mentioned that law enforcement is looking into the matter.
Reporter Emily Miller shared a video showing law enforcement at the scene, alongside what seemed to be torn blue sealant. She reported that a man allegedly jumped into the reflecting pool and ripped off a sizeable piece of sealant before being taken into custody. In another video, Miller claimed a man took a hose from a National Park Service employee and was also arrested, though it was unclear if this individual was involved in the sealant incident.
The Reflecting Pools have become central to President Trump’s beautification initiative in Washington, D.C. On March 31st, he revealed that he and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have been addressing what he described as “an absolutely filthy reflecting pool,” stating that such work should have been carried out during the Biden administration.
Burgum noted that before renovations, the pool was losing 45,000 gallons of water each day. The renovation involved draining the pool, sandblasting, repairing pipes and bubblers, and restoring its color, which Trump opted to paint in an American flag blue.
