President Trump has stated that the problems with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are not his fault. The pool, located between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, has been experiencing green algae blooms and peeling polyurethane.
On Monday, President Trump addressed reporters, saying that the $16.4 million renovation he had called for was not to blame for the pool’s condition. He suggested that vandalism could be responsible for the issues.
“They put, somebody said, fertilizer in the water,” Mr. Trump said. “If you put fertilizer in the water, you get algae.”
He speculated that vandals might have used knives or box cutters to damage the pool’s polyurethane lining.
A spokeswoman for the Interior Department, Katie Martin, has confirmed via email that five individuals were arrested on charges of vandalism, and citations were issued to another five people.
The pool has had a history of leaks and algae problems over the decades. Ongoing work aims to address these persistent issues.
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