Trump says – President Donald Trump said Friday that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was intentionally vandalized and that law enforcement is investigating. His claim came after blue material began peeling off the pool’s bottom days after his nearly $15 million renova
On Friday night, President Donald Trump posted that something had been done to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool—intentionally, he said—and that law enforcement was looking into it.
“The algae is 75% gone. and the condition will soon be completely remedied. ” Trump wrote in a late-night post on Truth Social. “The area that was vandalized. fortunately. is just a small area of damage. and will be fixed early next week.” He also said. “We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool. ” without providing evidence.
The claim landed after blue material started peeling off the bottom of the pool one day after it first began to deteriorate. Trump’s administration had recently repainted and refilled the Reflecting Pool in a renovation ordered by Trump. after the renovation’s reported aim was to restore the water feature in Washington. DC.
Trump’s post also pointed to a separate, earlier incident on the National Mall. He linked the alleged vandalism at the Reflecting Pool to the number “8647” that appeared etched into grass days prior.
“Just like three days ago. they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool. they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed. ” Trump wrote. He added that it was “No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall. ” saying “they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work.”.
The number “8647” has been read as coded slang: when used as slang, “86” can refer to getting rid of or tossing something out. Trump is currently the 47th president, and the phrase has recently been used to signal opposition to Trump.
A new image of the etched numbers showed the “4” and “6” standing out even more than when they were first discovered in the grass on the National Mall more than a week earlier. The Interior Department moved to address the numbers last week, and a spokesperson described them as “deranged vandalism.”
Trump’s Reflecting Pool renovation. meanwhile. has become part of the controversy over what happened so soon after work was completed. The renovations were initially estimated at $1.8 million. but the price tag on the project has risen to $14.7 million. according to a contract summary of the Interior Department’s award to Atlantic Industrial Coatings.
In his Friday night post, Trump also touted his beautification projects in Washington, DC, calling them a focus of his second term, and criticized Democrats for not fixing the pool sooner.
For now, the latest fight is not just over the pool’s surface, but over who is responsible. Trump says the damage was vandalism and that law enforcement is investigating. while the visible signs that prompted his claim—the peeling blue material and the earlier “8647” etching—have kept the attention fixed on the National Mall’s most symbolic waterfront.
Trump Reflecting Pool Lincoln Memorial vandalism law enforcement investigation Truth Social 8647 National Mall Interior Department Atlantic Industrial Coatings Washington DC renovation
Why is the Reflecting Pool even having problems like this…
So he says it was “intentionally vandalized” but they don’t have proof? Sounds like it could’ve just been the repaint or the chemicals. Also “8647” like people are really detectives now lol.
Wait I thought the algae was part of the pool being old, not someone messing with it. If the blue stuff started peeling right after the renovation, maybe the new coating just sucks? And the number thing… I mean I’ve seen random codes on grass before.
“Algae is 75% gone”?? That sounds like a progress report not an investigation. If they repainted and refilled and it’s peeling the next day, that’s kind of on whoever did the job, not “vandalism.” But of course he’s linking it to that 8647 number like it’s obvious. Who even checks that stuff anyway.