world
Trump Says Repairs Begin Immediately on Vandalized Reflecting Pool
President Donald Trump stated on 22 June 2026 that work would start at once on the Reflecting Pool after an aerial inspection. The announcement follows arrests and reports of paint damage ahead of the July 4 anniversary.
upi.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
President Donald Trump stated on 22 June 2026 that work would begin immediately to repair the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC after he inspected the site from a helicopter the previous day. @SCMPNews reported that Trump flew over the pool while returning from Camp David on 21 June and posted on Truth Social that he had seen serious vandalism.
He wrote that he could only say "WOW, who would do such a thing?
" and claimed one person used a blade to create a 250-foot gash in the facade. A senior Trump administration official told @SCMPNews that five people were arrested and five others received citations for vandalism on 20 June, with a total of 14 police reports filed.
US Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro said on Fox News the same day that anyone found vandalizing the pool would face the criminal justice system.
On 19 June police arrested former Olympic canoeist David "Davey" Hearn and charged him with vandalism. " The 2,030-foot pool, built in the 1920s between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, received a $13 million renovation earlier this year that included a new paint job. Officials later used hydrogen peroxide to treat green algae that appeared after refilling.
A George Mason University professor who sampled the water on 16 June identified the algae as Desmodesmus and said it is harmless to people and animals.
