▶ Watch Video: Olympian David Hearn pleads not guilty to damaging Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Washington — President Trump said late Monday that 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.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
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.
On Monday, Mr. Trump reiterated that the individuals allegedly responsible should “pay a big price for the damage done.”
The president said “slashes were 300 yards long, and the floor of the pool was cut and then pulled upward, with great force, by these thugs.” He said the administration “wanted to wait until after the July 4th Weekend” to make the repairs.
CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe asked the president in late June for evidence of his claims.
“Yeah, at the right time you’ll see it,” Mr. Trump said. “You’ll see it in court. You’ll see it in court, but all you have to do is call the Parks Department, call the Department of Interior.”