US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the Washington reflecting pool is in "great shape" despite recent vandalism, and confirmed that six individuals have been arrested while six or seven more are under investigation for causing damage to the pool.
Trump Details Vandalism and Repairs
Speaking to reporters alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump explained that the pool is not leaking and that further repairs will take place after the July 4 celebration of American independence. He described the vandalism as deliberate, involving cuts made with a box cutter or sharp razor to the pool's lining. Trump said the perpetrators "went to the bottom" and cut the material, which he described as "very expensive" and "like rubber." He added, "They cut and then they started ripping it up. You know why because they're sick people."
The pool's bottom was repainted in a color Trump calls "American flag blue" as part of a $14.7 million renovation project completed on June 6. However, last week, the blue material began peeling off, and parts were seen floating on the water, which turned green with algae. Since June 16, US National Park Service work crews have been pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool to combat the algae bloom.
Trump Cites Federal Statute on Vandalism
Trump noted that he signed a statute during his first term that mandates a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who damages federal property, including statues, monuments, or fountains in Washington DC. He stated, "There's a statute that I signed when I had my first term that if you do anything to hurt statues or monuments, fountains in Washington DC or federal fountain, it's actually federal all over the country. But you go to jail for 10 years and there's no shortcuts."
Trump alleged that the vandal was a Democrat and supporter of former President Joe Biden, claiming, "The guy that one of the guys he's a member or a big payer to ActBlue, he's a big Hillary supporter, he's a big supporter of Sleepy Joe Biden. No these are a very political thing."
Historical Significance of the Pool
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, constructed in 1922, is near the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, according to Al Jazeera. Trump remarked that the pool "hasn't worked properly since it was built because it always leaked in 1922." He added, "I always said it had great potential. We temporarily patched it even though we stopped the leak it's so good that with all that damage they did it's not leaking. And it looks really beautiful."
Trump confirmed that repairs will proceed after July 4, saying, "We'll let a little water out because it's at the edge they'll cut it they'll replace it and it'll be as good as new." He emphasized that the vandalism was "pure vandalism" and that the perpetrators "should go to jail for a long time."
