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Trump says Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalized, defends response to algae bloom
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Trump says Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalized, defends response to algae bloom

The Hill · Jun 20, 2026, 12:03 PM · Also reported by 4 other sources

Key takeaways

  • We ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial, the president wrote in a Truth Social post.
  • Trump referenced a recent incident in which the numbers 86 47 appeared in the grass on the National Mall, just days before his 80th birthday.
  • Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed, Trump wrote in the post.

Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.

We ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial, the president wrote in a Truth Social post.

Trump referenced a recent incident in which the numbers 86 47 appeared in the grass on the National Mall, just days before his 80th birthday. The phrase has been interpreted as signaling opposition to the president, with 86 being slang for something to get rid of and Trump being the 47th U.S. president.

Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed, Trump wrote in the post. No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work.

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