{"id":4855,"date":"2026-06-21T07:33:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T07:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4855"},"modified":"2026-06-21T07:33:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T07:33:57","slug":"trump-tries-to-blame-reflecting-pool-woes-on-vandalism-without-offering-substantiation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4855","title":{"rendered":"Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that federal authorities had made \u201cmultiple arrests\u201d of people he said were vandalizing the Reflecting Pool as he struggled to explain why the $14-million-plus rehabilitation project he launched for the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary seemingly backfired.<\/p>\n

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Trump said his predecessors had let the pool turn an algae-stained green and that he\u2019d line it with \u201cAmerican flag blue\u201d so it better reflected the Washington Monument. But after the new pool was unveiled, its blue tinge quickly became a familiar green. Workers treated it with chemicals to kill the algae, but then the painted blue lining on the bottom began to peel.<\/p>\n

On Friday night, Trump posted about the pool.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,\u201d he posted on his social media site Friday night. \u201cJust like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they\u2019ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.\u201d <\/p>\n

He offered no details to substantiate his claim.<\/p>\n

Agencies responsible for law enforcement and upkeep on the National Mall \u2014 the U.S. Park Police, National Park Service and Interior Department \u2014 did not respond to requests for comment. Trump on Saturday followed up by posting that Park Police \u201chave arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll,\u201d correcting his spelling to \u201cPool\u201d later.<\/p>\n

He went on: \u201cWho would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail!\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump later acknowledged in a post that the Reflecting Pool will need to be repaired, yet again, to restore it to \u201can equal level of Beauty\u201d as before. \u201cWe met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible,\u201d he wrote. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One man arrested was David Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, who owned a company that made composite used to build watercraft. He said he stopped by the pool during his 64-mile bike ride Friday to see what was going on.<\/p>\n

Hearn, a former Olympic canoe racer, told The Associated Press that he reached into the pool because he wanted to examine the peeling new coating. He said he briefly touched a chunk that was still attached to the side of the pool, then let go shortly after a park worker told him to.<\/p>\n

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But, Hearn said, he was then detained by National Guard troops and Park Police for five hours before being released Friday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a curious citizen,\u201d Hearn said in a telephone interview. \u201cI reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Washington Post first reported Hearn\u2019s arrest, and he said he has a date to appear in court next month and is looking for legal help. <\/p>\n

Even if someone pulled ribbons of paint from the side of the pool, it would not explain the clouds of algae in green water and swaths of loose blue paint detached from the bottom.<\/p>\n

Trump insisted something nefarious has been going on at the scene. \u201cNo different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,\u201d he posted Friday evening.<\/p>\n

That was an apparent reference to the discovery of large numbers etched in discolored grass on the National Mall the week before: \u201c86 47.\u201d Authorities said the numbers could have been meant as a threat to Trump, the 47th president. The number 86 can be slang for \u201cgetting rid of.\u201d They are investigating.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s claims came after days of negative attention to the state of the pool, which has drawn television cameras and curious onlookers.<\/p>\n

Read more Undav scores twice as Germany beats Ivory Coast 2-1, advances to World Cup knockout phase<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The paint is peeling from Washington\u2019s Reflecting Pool after the renovation ordered by President Donald Trump, and he is now alleging that someone damaged it intentionally. \u201cWe\u2019ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,\u201d he posted on his social media site Friday night. \u201cJust like three days ago, [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nTrump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4855\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation - 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