President Trump announced Saturday that multiple people have been arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, days after the recently resurfaced pool developed visible problems including algae-filled green water and swaths of loose blue paint detached from the bottom.
"The United States Park Police have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll (sic)," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Saturday. "Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair."
Among those arrested was David Hearn, a 67-year-old Bethesda, Maryland, man who said he stopped by the pool during a 64-mile bike ride. Hearn is a former Olympic canoe racer who owned a company that provided materials to build watercraft. He told CBS News he was detained by National Guard troops and Park Police after reaching down into the pool.
Hearn said it was scientific interest that brought him to the water's edge. He said he briefly touched a chunk of the new coating that was still attached to the side of the pool, then let go shortly after a park worker told him to.
"I'm a curious citizen," Hearn said in a telephone interview. "I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery."
He said he was held for five hours on Friday and has a court date next month. He is looking for legal help.
The Washington Post first reported on Hearn's arrest. The National Park Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News.
The Reflecting Pool has faced problems with leaks, algae and faulty plumbing for years. In April, Trump launched a $14 million effort to address the pool's condition ahead of the nation's 250th birthday. After the pool was resurfaced and water was pumped back in, issues began to arise last week. Workers were seen removing algae in recent days, and on Tuesday morning, crews dumped bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the water.
In a Truth Social post Friday night, Trump alleged, without providing evidence, that vandals had destroyed grass outside the pool and had done damage to the interior surface. He said Saturday that the algae situation was improving.
"[T]he algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week," Trump wrote.
CBS News noted that even if someone had pulled ribbons of paint from the side of the pool, it would not account for the clouds of algae in green water and the loose blue paint detached from the bottom.
