President Donald Trump said on Friday that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington would be repaired after July 4 due to damage allegedly caused by vandals.
“We just inspected it. We’ll fix it right after the 4th of July. Got to let the water out,” the president said during the Faith & Freedom Coalition Policy Conference on June 26.
The president said at least six people have been arrested for damaging the pool and that there are “others in line to be caught.” He alleged that vandals had used a box knife to damage the pool's lining.
“They would cut it and they would grab this very expensive and very good material, totally waterproof, and they rip it,” he told the conference. “They ripped a scar 350 feet long through the side of the reflecting pool.”
The U.S. Park Police on June 24 released surveillance footage of what appeared to be a person bending down at the pool and asked the public to help identify the individual, who was wanted for allegedly destroying government property.
Frank Lands, deputy director for operations for the service, said in the filing that about 70 tops of fence posts were thrown into the pool.
“Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize the reflecting pool will face the criminal justice system in D.C.,” she told the news outlet.
Pirro warned that anyone found to have poured products into the pool that may have caused algae growth could face more serious charges.