President Donald Trump said on Friday that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington would be repaired after July 4 due to damage allegedly caused by vandals.
“We just inspected it. We’ll fix it right after the 4th of July. Got to let the water out,” the president said during the Faith & Freedom Coalition Policy Conference on June 26.
The reflecting pool, which is about 2,030 feet long and 167 feet wide with a depth of 30 inches at its center, had been renovated ahead of the 250th anniversary of the country’s Independence Day on July 4 under Trump’s order. But problems have emerged in recent days with algae blooming in the pool and peeling paint, which Trump has attributed to vandals.
The president said at least six people have been arrested for damaging the pool and that there are “others in line to be caught.” He alleged that vandals had used a box knife to damage the pool’s lining.
“They would cut it and they would grab this very expensive and very good material, totally waterproof, and they rip it,” he told the conference. “They ripped a scar 350 feet long through the side of the reflecting pool.”
Trump also alleged in a June 20 post that “corrosive and destructive chemicals” had been poured into the pool, and that the water may need to be drained to allow repairs.
The U.S. Park Police on June 24 released surveillance footage of what appeared to be a person bending down at the pool and asked the public to help identify the individual, who was wanted for allegedly destroying government property.
In a June 24 court filing, a National Park Service official said the agency found damage to the reflecting pool earlier in June, “including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material.”
Frank Lands, deputy director for operations for the service, said in the filing that about 70 tops of fence posts were thrown into the pool.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told Fox News on June 21 that several citations have been issued to individuals accused of vandalizing the pool and warned that those responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize the reflecting pool will face the criminal justice system in D.C.,” she told the news outlet.
Pirro warned that anyone found to have poured products into the pool that may have caused algae growth could face more serious charges.
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
