Trump says much of water in Reflecting Pool likely to be drained: ‘Necessary repairs’
President Donald Trump provided an update to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s status Saturday night, saying “many additional people have been arrested” for vandalism hours after it was reported U.S. Park Police arrested a former Olympian and cyclist for allegedly vandalizing the monument.
The pool has drawn national attention due to its high-profile role in the Trump administration’s efforts to restore national symbols in Washington, D.C. The multimillion-dollar project involved repainting the bottom of the pool “American flag blue,” but it has since turned green from algae, and pictures have appeared showing the paint peeling.
“We met with contractors today,” Trump added in the announcement, “and will 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.”
Trump’s Truth Social post came just hours after it was reported that David Hearn, 67, a cyclist and former Olympian, had been arrested for allegedly vandalizing the pool. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property and will appear in front of the D.C. Superior Court on July 9.
The three-time Olympian denied damaging government property in an interview with the Washington Post Saturday, saying he touched the pool’s already-peeling liner but didn’t “destroy or break or peel anything.”
“By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,” he said.
Trump referenced the alleged vandals having damaged the grass in front of the memorial, as well as “corrosive and destructive chemicals” that were allegedly put in the pool. The memorial had been vandalized by “86 47 graffiti” in late April.
US PARK POLICE ARREST FORMER OLYMPIAN FOR VANDALISM OF REFLECTING POOL
“We are very proud of what we have done with this magnificent structure, and we will get it repaired, quickly, to an equal level of beauty,” Trump added in the post.
Hearn admitted to grabbing “the end of that flapping piece” of the liner, but didn’t remove anything. He said he was detained for almost five hours before riding his bike home shortly after 9 p.m.
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