US President Donald Trump has blamed "vandals" for damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, as former Olympian David Hearn was arrested after touching a piece of the pool's already-damaged liner.
Trump's Social Media Outburst
Trump posted on Truth Social, claiming federal officers made "multiple arrests" of individuals he accused of vandalising the historic site. In the early hours of Sunday, he wrote: "Many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool."
He alleged that "some form of knife or blade" was used to create a "250-foot-long gash" in the pool's facade, and that "corrosive and destructive chemicals" were poured into the water. Contractors informed him on Saturday that the pool would require draining for restoration, with repairs "done as quickly as possible."
Olympian Arrested
David Hearn, 67, a three-time Olympic canoeist for the US, told the Washington Post that while cycling past the monument on Friday, he stopped after spotting a section of the pool's liner drifting in the water. He reached out and touched the loose piece, then was detained by Park Police.
"I didn't vandalise anything," Hearn insisted. "I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realised what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs." He added that he "grabbed the end of that flapping piece, the already peeling piece" which was still attached. Hearn spent nearly five hours at a Park Police station; his court appearance is set for 9 July.
Previous Algae Issues
Trump had earlier claimed on 19 June that "Radical Left Lunatics" were responsible for problems at the pool. He also attacked ABC reporter Jonathan Karl, accusing him of scraping rubber from the pool's surface. Karl's report showed the pool filled with muck and green algae, with the multi-million dollar paint job deteriorating rapidly.
Earlier this month, Trump declared the restoration complete, boasting it was "very complex, but powerful." However, algae turned the newly added water green. Workers poured hydrogen peroxide to combat the algae, and the Department of the Interior confirmed installation of "nanobubbler technology." Trump claims algae has been reduced by 75 percent.
