Trump Addresses Vandalism and Renovation Challenges of National Mall’s Reflecting Pool

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that several arrests have been made in relation to alleged vandalism of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Among those arrested is an Olympic canoeist, as the site’s $14 million renovation project has encountered various issues.

In two posts on Truth Social, Trump accused vandals of damaging the pool, suggesting that the crimes warrant ‘years in jail.’ Trump stated, ‘Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments.’

The Reflecting Pool, located at the Lincoln Memorial’s base, measures 2,030 feet. Following the application of a new ‘American flag blue’ sealant on the pool’s floor, it has suffered from algae blooms and the sealant peeling off, revealing pieces above the surface. Trump reported meeting with contractors and mentioned the necessity of draining much of the pool to restore the floor.

Trump commented, ‘What these terrible Vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and should be dealt with accordingly.’ He added, ‘They took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250-foot long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence, and money to build and complete.’ Trump accused the vandals of pouring corrosive chemicals into the pool as well.

A tear in the recent sealant application was observed at the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Thursday. The renovation project aligns with Trump’s initiative to enhance Washington’s aesthetics for the nation’s 250th anniversary. Despite attempts at cleaning, the algae bloom and peeling sealant continue to draw interest from visitors to the pool and monuments.

David ‘Davey’ Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist, was among these visitors. He informed NBC News that he was arrested and detained for five hours on Friday after interacting with a piece of the detached coating. Hearn, aged 67, visited the pool following a bike ride, curious about the visible algae and peeling reported in the news.

‘It was kind of stiff, stiff, but flexible, pretty rubbery. Didn’t feel brittle in any way,’

Hearn clarified, ‘I didn’t remove, tear, rip, break or destroy any of it. The condition of the reflecting pool was the same after I stepped away from the water as it was before I got there.’ Hearn expressed that the National Guardsman who arrested him couldn’t identify the specific federal law he violated. The National Guard has not immediately provided comments regarding the matter.

Hearn recounted, ‘All of a sudden they were handcuffing me behind my back, and they hadn’t really told me what I was charged with.’ An article shared by Trump earlier detailed Hearn’s arrest. The U.S. Park Police has not responded promptly about any arrests.

This renovation coincides with Trump’s critique of former administrations over the Reflecting Pool’s prior state. Last month, while driving to the pool undergoing renovations, Trump conveyed, ‘It never had the color people wanted, but now it’s going to have the great color.’

Workers were visible cleaning the pool on Friday as algae continued turning the water green.