President Donald Trump issued a threat to those vandalizing the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial after his renovation project.
“Of the MANY Statues and Fountains that we rebuilt, renovated, cleaned, and fixed, the only one that was Vandalized was the Reflecting Pool, which is being taken care of, ASAP!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “It has been given a 300 foot long gash, chemicals have been illegally placed in the water, and the beautiful new grass field has been destroyed with a gigantic 86 47 chemically carved into it (Probably inspired by Dirty Cop, James Comey!).”
The president noted 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 Reflecting Pool project was part of President Trump’s push to clean up Washington, D.C. ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. The project cost about $14 million. Workers painted the bottom of the pool “American flag blue” so it would better reflect the Washington Memorial obelisk.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! President Trump reveals 10 YEAR PRISON SENTENCES for leftist vandals attacking the Lincoln Reflecting Pool and other monuments
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 22, 2026
Leftists SLASHED 300 feet of the pool and illegally dumped chemicals 🤯
"Of the MANY Statues and Fountains that we rebuilt, renovated,… pic.twitter.com/VNWlrXFGFr
Soon after the project concluded, anti-Trump vandals struck and defaced the pool. The authorities have already made arrests, including three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn, a 67-year-old Bethesda, Maryland resident. The police detained him on Friday after he reached into the pool to touch a piece of peeling blue coating. However, he said he was not trying to deface the monument.
Paint was seen peeling from the floor of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, weeks after a $14 million renovation that included a new color President Trump called “American Flag Blue.” pic.twitter.com/pCYznXRoFF
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 18, 2026
Police have arrested at least five other people and cited them for vandalism-related offenses. They used a variety of methods to deface the pool, including scratching or cutting the material, throwing chemicals or substances into the pool to contaminate the water, graffiti, and others.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro vowed full prosecution efforts against “anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize” monuments in the capitol.