Trump says Reflecting Pool has been drained for repairs
President Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was drained for repairs, after weeks of railing against alleged vandals.
"We drained the beautiful 'Reflecting Pool' today in order to fix the scars and damage that was done by the Vandals two weeks ago," Mr. Trump wrote on Truth social.
"The Parks Department had to empty the water in order to fix the water tight basin," he said. "It will be refilled and put back into service soon."
The president launched an effort in April to renovate the Reflecting Pool as part of a slate of projects ahead of the nation's 250th birthday. But the effort hit a series of snags earlier this summer, when algae turned the water a fluorescent green, before rips appeared in the new surface of the Reflecting Pool.
The National Park Service reported last month that the damage was caused by a sharp knife, after the president blamed the renovated project's peeling surface on vandals. It was not clear what kind of evidence the National Park Service had.
Several people have been arrested for alleged vandalism related to the Reflecting Pool, and last week, U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty to charges after he was accused of ripping out a portion of the sealant from the bottom of the pool. Hearn said he stopped by the pool during a 64-mile bike ride and was arrested after reaching down into the pool. He has said he was just interested in the material and briefly touched it.