The National Park Service has provided a new update on the damage reported at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, while questions continue over President Donald Trump’s claim that “vandals” caused a major “gash” at the site.
Concern around the Reflecting Pool intensified after Trump said multiple people had been taken into custody in connection with damage at the memorial, where a multimillion-dollar rehabilitation project has already drawn attention after the pool’s recent repainting and cleanup.
In a post on social media, Trump alleged that there was a
‘350 foot gash’
in the paint, though he did not provide evidence to support that claim. He also said those responsible for damaging public property could face lengthy prison terms.
Trump wrote:
“Please remember that there is a 10 year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things – Which will be fully enforced!”
The president did not offer proof for the vandalism allegation. However, the National Park Service has now said in a court filing that a liner at the base of the Reflecting Pool was
‘cut with a sharp knife or razor’
according to the document.
Frank Lands, the Park Service’s deputy director of operations, said in the filing submitted Wednesday, June 25, that US Park Police responded to a report about the pool on June 9.
The filing says the cut in the liner also affected the pool’s foam sealant. Lands said a US Park Police report described damage
‘including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material’.
The same filing also states:
“Approximately 70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool,”
The court document is part of a lawsuit brought by a nonprofit group attempting to halt the administration’s work at the memorial site.
As for what happens next, the Park Service said it
‘plans to begin draining the reflecting pool following the Independence Day celebration to conduct repairs, including assessing and repairing any damage to the lining’
so crews can inspect the site and complete the needed fixes.
The suspected vandalism follows a separate issue at the Reflecting Pool, where the water turned green from algae not long after renovation work wrapped up. Staff were later brought in to clear visible clumps from the water.
Although the NPS has verified that the pool sustained damage, officials have not said the cut itself caused the algae problem. Experts told PBS News:
“Algae is a naturally occurring, microscopic organism that feeds off nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
“It’s likely the water used to refill the Reflecting Pool had enough of those nutrients for the algae to grow.”