National Guard service members and U.S. Park Police are patrolling the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as Donald Trump's administration grapples with a self-imposed deadline to rectify a botched renovation ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration.
The patrols follow Trump's assertion that authorities had made "multiple arrests" of individuals he claimed were responsible for damage to the peeling coating, which emerged after an algae bloom.
The liner was part of a $14 million-plus project, which Trump championed as a solution to clean and beautify an iconic site he deemed neglected. He personally selected an "American flag blue" coating, promising a gleaming expanse along the National Mall.
However, within weeks of Trump declaring the rehabilitation complete for Independence Day, the water was afflicted by a vivid green algae bloom that clouded the pool's coating. An approximately four-foot-square piece of the liner was observed partially floating last Friday, with additional pieces observed on Monday.
Via social media, Trump has attributed the problems to "SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!" On Truth Social, he alleged intentional damages, including a "300-foot-long gash" and that "chemicals have been illegally placed in the water." He has not substantiated these claims, and the algae bloom appeared more intensely than typical pre-renovation occurrences.
Images of the project's apparent failure quickly spread across social media, drawing crowds of onlookers eager to see the effects themselves. Among those detained was David Hearn, 67, a former Olympic canoe racer, who told The Associated Press he was arrested after briefly touching a peeling chunk of the liner. "I’m a curious citizen," Hearn stated. "I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery."
Hearn was detained for five hours by National Guard troops and Park Police. The Park Police have not responded to inquiries regarding the number of arrests or charges filed, and it remains unclear what criminal or civil violation touching the pool might constitute. Trump, in his social media posts, has threatened prison time for unnamed assailants, citing laws against defacing federal monuments.
