President Trump claims vandals used chemicals to damage the newly renovated reflecting pool near the Lincoln Memorial, prompting an investigation into the incident.
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that vandals have caused damage to the recently renovated reflecting pool located near the Lincoln Memorial. He stated that chemicals were used on the newly installed surface, and authorities are currently investigating the incident.
Trump’s remarks come as the reflecting pool, which underwent a $14.8 million restoration project, is facing criticism for issues such as peeling paint and algae growth just weeks after its completion. In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his views on the state of Washington, D.C., saying, “Things are really looking good in our Nation’s Capital, and add to that the fact that when I became President, Crime was rampant, and now, Washington, D.C., is one of the Safest Cities anywhere in the United States.”
However, he noted, “we’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial.” He elaborated that just days prior, vandals had destroyed the grass surrounding the pool and had also damaged the newly installed surface.
Trump accused the vandals of using chemicals to harm the grounds and the pool itself, stating, “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.”
His comments followed a recent incident in which a large “86 47” message appeared etched into the grass near the National Mall, between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial. Administration officials characterized this message as threatening, interpreting “86” as slang for removing or getting rid of something, while “47” refers to Trump as the nation’s 47th president.
On June 6, Trump had announced the completion of the $14.8 million restoration project for the historic reflecting pool. However, shortly after the announcement, algae began to appear throughout the pool, obscuring parts of the newly restored “American flag blue” bottom.
This week, the National Park Service and contractors have been working to address the algae issue by deploying chemicals and ozone nanobubbles. They have also utilized a swimming pool-style vacuum system to remove algae from the bottom of the pool. The park service assured the public that “there are no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment.”
Trump reported that most of the algae had been removed and that the area affected by vandalism would be repaired by the following week. “The algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week,” he stated.
He also mentioned that law enforcement is actively investigating the alleged vandalism. Images shared on social media showed National Guard personnel and U.S. Park Police officers patrolling the area. Additionally, videos appeared to capture individuals gathered near the Reflecting Pool, expressing criticism of the renovation project while celebrating the algae growth.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for further comment on the situation. The Associated Press contributed to this report.