Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Published - June 21, 2026 04:50 am IST - Washington U.S. National Park Service employee works to remove algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after recent renovations following a directive from U.S. President Donald Trump to paint it blue ahead of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on June 20, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday (June 20, 2026) announced that federal authorities had made “multiple arrests” of people he said were vandalising the Reflecting Pool as he struggled to explain why the $14-million-plus rehabilitation project he launched for the nation's 250th anniversary seemingly backfired. Mr. Trump said his predecessors had let the pool turn an algae-stained green and that he'd line it with “American flag blue” so it better reflected the Washington Monument. But after the new pool was unveiled, its blue tinge quickly became a familiar green. Workers treated it with chemicals to kill the algae, but then the painted blue lining on the bottom began to peel. On Friday (June 19, 2026) night, Mr. Trump posted about the pool. “We've had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool. 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,” he said. Mr. Trump offered no details to substantiate his claim. Agencies responsible for law enforcement and upkeep on the National Mall – the U.S. Park Police, National Park Service and Interior Department – did not respond to requests for comment. Mr. Trump on Saturday (June 20, 2026) followed up by saying Park Police “have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nation’s magnificent Reflecting Poll," meaning Pool. He went on: "Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail!” One man arrested was David Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, who owned a company that made composite used to build watercraft. He said he stopped by the pool during his 64-mile bike ride Friday to see what was going on. Mr. Hearn, a former Olympic canoe racer, told The Associated Press that he reached into the pool because he wanted to examine the peeling new coating. He said he briefly touched a chunk that was still attached to the side of the pool, then let go shortly after a park worker told him to. But, Mr. Hearn said, he was then detained by National Guard troops and Park Police for five hours before being released Friday night. “I'm a curious citizen,” Hearn said in a telephone interview. “I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.” The Washington Post first reported Hearn's arrest, and he said he has a date to appear in court next month and is looking for legal help. Even if someone pulled ribbons of paint from the side of the pool, it would not explain the clouds of algae in green water and swaths of loose blue paint detached from the bottom. Mr. Trump insisted something nefarious has been going on at the scene. “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,” he posted Friday (June 19, 2026) evening. That was an apparent reference to the discovery of large numbers etched in discolored grass on the National Mall the week before: “86 47”. Authorities said the numbers could have been meant as a threat to Trump, the 47th president. The number 86 can be slang for “getting rid of”. They are investigating. Mr. Trump's claims came after days of negative attention to the state of the pool, which has drawn television cameras and curious onlookers. Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are al

Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation

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Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation

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