Three-time Olympian David Hearn, 67, was arrested on Friday after touching the newly renovated Reflecting Pools at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Hearn, who competed in canoe slalom, noticed a piece of the blue liner that had detached from the pool bottom and reached into the water to feel it. He was promptly handcuffed and charged with destruction of government property.
Incident at the Lincoln Memorial
Footage of the incident spread quickly among conservative commentators, who claimed Hearn was vandalising the pool. Hearn told the Washington Post: 'I didn't vandalise anything. I didn't destroy, break, or peel anything. By the time I realised what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.' He said he simply reached his hand in the pool and felt the end of the paint piece, which was still attached to the bottom.
Trump's Reflecting Pool Renovation
President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted about the $20 million refurbishment of the Reflecting Pools, which included fixing leaks in the granite foundation and coating the pools with blue paint ahead of the 250th anniversary of US independence. However, the pools have already developed issues, most notably a bright green algae bloom. The government claimed 'the algae is dead and being vacuumed up as we speak,' adding, 'We thank President Trump for fixing the Reflecting Pool for good.'
Part of the renovation included 'advanced nanobubbler technology' designed to produce small gas bubbles to control algae. It remains unclear whether the technology is malfunctioning or if high temperatures in DC contributed to the bloom. Photos from this week showed the pools dark green with ducks swimming past.
Trump's Response
In a post shortly after the footage of Hearn went viral, Trump blamed 'Radical Left Lunatics' for vandalising the pool. The administration continues to claim that vandals are interfering with the 'magnificent' Reflecting Pool. This incident follows reports of peeling paint on the $14.7 million renovation and a resurfaced Trump tweet slamming the 2013 Iran nuclear deal.
