Americans react to Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool surveillance
“I think surveillance is always a good thing.” Americans react to security cameras installed around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
President Donald Trump said that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall is “in full use” after an algae bloom in the pool and portions of the blue paint applied during renovations he commissioned began peeling off earlier this month.
Trump’s June 28 social media post came after a tour of Washington, DC, landmarks during which he declared that many of the monuments were “completely renovated and restored” and announced plans for a renovation of a golf course facility in the district.
He blamed, without evidence, “Criminal, Radical Left Vandals” for “creating great damage” to the Reflecting Pool, which he said was “100% free of leaks, and any of the other problems it has had since its building in 1922” last week. The paint appeared to have begun peeling off on June 18, 10 days before Trump’s post on Truth Social.
The pool has been suffering from an algae bloom since at least June 16, as seen in photos compiled by USA TODAY. Algae blooms have long bedeviled the DC landmark, though the one that broke out in the wake of the renovations appears to have reduced.
The president said in a June 26 speech that renovations would restart following the Independence Day holiday.
Lincoln Reflecting Pool arrests
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a June 27 interview on Fox News that seven arrests and 18 police reports have been filed in connection with the pool. Burgum did not name those arrested or specify any charges but said that there would be “full” prosecution.
USA TODAY reached out to the Department of the Interior to confirm the number of arrests and citations.
David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was arrested by U.S. Park Police on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property, the Washington Post first reported, and appears to be the only publicly identified person arrested in connection with the pool.
Hearn defended himself to the Post, saying: “I didn’t vandalize anything” and that “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”
A photo published by Reuters shows a U.S. Park Police officer issuing a citation to a person identified as a 17-year-old who allegedly took a piece of paint from the pool.
National Park Service deputy director of operations Frank Lands said in a sworn declaration that a portion of the paint was damaged, and a portion of caulk laid over foam sealant was “cut with a sharp knife or razor.”
According to Lands, the National Park Service reported the damage to U.S. Park Police, and officers responded on June 9. The statement does not say when the damage occurred, if it was an act of vandalism, or identify any potential suspects.
The declaration was made in connection with a lawsuit arguing that the Trump administration illegally renovated the pool. The Park Service did not respond to previous requests for comment from USA TODAY on Lands’ declaration.
Trump says DC golf course renovations to begin in September
Trump also announced in the post that renovations to East Potomac Golf Links would begin on Sept. 1.
“It was determined that, on this fantastic site, with water and unparalleled views of D.C.’s Monuments, we will build one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World,” Trump said.
The renovation comes after a nonprofit organization and two residents in Washington sued the Trump administration to try to block the project. The administration and the nonprofit, National Links Trust, reached a deal in May to allow the organization to continue operating East Potomac Golf Links until federal officials overhaul it.
Trump called the course “virtually unplayable.” Reviews of the facility’s three courses on GolfNow are largely positive, though some note conditions on the fairways and greens that are consistent with a heavily used municipal course.
The president stated that Tom Fazio would be the new course’s architect, and it would be built through the Department of the Interior.
Contributing: Michael Loria, USA TODAY; Reuters
