WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that several arrests were made related to vandalism at the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Among those arrested is an Olympic canoeist. The $14 million renovation project for the site has been met with various challenges.
In two posts on Truth Social, Trump accused vandals of causing damage to the pool, suggesting severe punishments. He questioned, “Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments.”
The pool, situated at the Lincoln Memorial’s foot, encountered an algae bloom after being refilled. Workers had applied a new “American flag blue” sealant which has started peeling, with visible pieces above the water. Trump said he had discussions with contractors and mentioned that draining much of the water might be necessary for repairs.
“What these terrible Vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and should be dealt with accordingly,” he expressed in a subsequent post. He added that vandals made a large gash in the facade and poured harmful chemicals into the pool.
The project aligns with broader efforts to beautify Washington for the country’s 250th anniversary. Despite attempts to manage the algae, the ongoing issues with the coating continue to draw attention from visitors.
David “Davey” Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist, was among those arrested. Hearn, aged 67, explained that he was detained for five hours on Friday after touching a section of the detached coating. He visited the pool to investigate news of the algae and peeling blue coating.
“It was kind of stiff, but flexible, pretty rubbery. Didn’t feel brittle in any way,” Hearn described. “I didn’t remove, tear, rip, break or destroy any of it. The condition of the reflecting pool was the same after I stepped away from the water as it was before I got there.”
Hearn recounted that the arresting national guardsman could not specify the federal law he had violated. The National Guard has yet to comment on the incident. Hearn stated, “All of a sudden they were handcuffing me behind my back, and they hadn’t really told me what I was charged with.”
Earlier, Trump highlighted an article about Hearn’s arrest on social media. There has been no immediate comment from the U.S. Park Police regarding any arrests.
Recent renovations also prompted Trump to criticize past administrations over the pool’s previous state. Last month, he visited the site during renovations to emphasize his improvements, claiming it would now possess the desired color.
Despite ongoing cleaning efforts by workers, algae continued to affect the pool, turning the water green on Friday.