A senior National Park Service (NPS) official has alleged that the liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor earlier this month, echoing Donald Trump's claims of vandalism. Frank Lands, the deputy director for operations for NPS, made the statement in a court filing on Wednesday as part of a lawsuit brought by a non-profit group seeking to halt the US president's renovation of the site.
Details of the Damage
In the document, Lands said that on 9 June, after the renovation project of Washington's reflecting pool was substantially complete, US Park Service police responded to an NPS report of damage. The filing states that the damage includes a caulk over the foam sealant cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material. Lands added that approximately 70 fence post tops were also thrown into the water. The NPS plans to begin draining the reflecting pool after the Independence Day celebration to conduct repairs, including assessing and repairing any damage to the lining.
Renovation Controversy
The statement comes amid controversy surrounding Trump's $14.2 million renovation project of the reflecting pool, which he pitched as a bid to turn it American flag blue ahead of the country's 250th birthday celebrations. Only days after the project was completed, an algae bloom turned the water green, and NPS workers were deployed to use skimmers and hydrogen peroxide to improve water quality. Large flakes of the blue coating later peeled from the basin and floated on the surface.
Over the weekend, Trump blamed unidentified vandals for the problems. On Sunday, without providing further details, he claimed multiple individuals had been arrested by US park police for vandalizing the reflecting pool. A three-time US Olympic canoeist, David Hearn, was arrested on Friday. Hearn, who denies the vandalism claims, told the Washington Post that after noticing a partly detached piece of the blue liner, he reached into the water to see what it felt like and was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property.
Pressure for Evidence
Trump and the Department of the Interior have faced growing pressure to release photographic and video evidence supporting their claims of sabotage and vandalism. The administration has yet to release any photos or videos substantiating Trump's allegations of a 350-foot gash through the site. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that government documents showed NPS workers discovered two cuts in sections of foam between the pool's expansion joints, but the cuts were not directly related to the peeling blue coating or algae bloom. The cause of the cuts was unclear.
On Wednesday, the US park police announced they were seeking assistance in identifying an individual in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation. The alleged incident occurred on 19 June at the reflecting pool, and a video released alongside the statement shows a person reaching into the pool and appearing to pull something out.
