Donald Trump’s claims that the Reflecting Pool has been vandalized have come under question. The claims were made by the president after parts of the blue paint peeled off the pool’s surface. New government documents have surfaced, which give a contradicting account of the recent paint-peeling issues.
Government documents do not support vandalism as the main cause
Over the last few weeks, Donald Trump has claimed that vandals were responsible for the recent paint peels and other issues related to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following his recent renovation of the landmark. Reports of a new algae infestation have also surfaced, which has turned the water into a murky green color.
Amid Trump’s vandalism claims, new documents from the National Parks Service obtained by The New York Times reveal other details. According to the report, issues with the pool’s lining began to arise shortly after the installation of Trump’s “American Flag Blue” epoxy lining.
Several maintenance workers had found prominent cuts in the foam between the concrete slabs and other damages, including peeling. As per the document, they had identified deep slashes, spanning almost 171 feet, in the foam. Trump may have been referring to these cuts in his Truth Social posts while accusing the vandals. Meanwhile, the document clearly states that the issues with the foam are not related to the peeling of the new coating.
On Monday, Trump announced that he would resolve the issues in the Reflecting Pool. In a Truth Social post before that, the president stated that authorities have arrested “multiple individuals for vandalizing” the landmark. He also accused the vandals of adding illegal chemicals to the water, causing the recent algae bloom.
“Please remember that there is a 10 year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things – Which will be fully enforced,” Trump reiterated in another post.
Among the six people that authorities have arrested on charges of vandalism is Olympian David Hearn. Speaking with The Washington Post, he maintained his innocence, stating, “I didn’t vandalize anything.” He added, “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
