President Trump’s Allegations About Vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

By June 22, 2026 / 8:20 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — President Trump stated on Monday that he plans to present evidence in court to support his claim that vandals caused damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. According to Trump, a massive slit was cut into the pool, which he believes is responsible for the peeling paint on the recently renovated area.

In a conversation with CBS News senior White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe, Trump was adamant that vandalism, not workmanship issues, were causing ongoing problems after a $14.7 million repair to the sealant. He alleged that vandals cut a 350-foot slit into the pool located between the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.

The U.S. Park Police reported five arrests and five federal citations related to vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, although neither the construction company nor the U.S. Park Service confirmed the existence of a slit causing the paint to peel.

When asked for proof such as photos or videos showing vandals using a knife to create the slit, Trump responded: “Well, let’s put it this way, when you have a 350, I think it’s 350, not 250, when you have a 350-foot slit, from one end to the other, you think that’s proof? You think that’s proof?” O’Keefe mentioned that reporters visiting the site found no evidence of the slit.

“Well, you’d have to go see the Parks Department. They’ll show it to you, or see, see the secretary, but I saw it,” Trump said, likely referring to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “They cut it, they cut it very violently. The same thing with the floor, they cut it, and then they lifted it. They pulled it, and that’s what it is.”

Following his defense of the project, Trump commented, “We also have pictures.” When O’Keefe asked for further evidence, Trump stated, “Yeah, at the right time you’ll see it. You’ll see it in court. You’ll see it in court, but all you have to do is call the Parks Department, call the Department of Interior.”

Photographs reveal blue coating and algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as of Sunday, June 21, 2026. The president suggested fertilizing the water could be responsible for the algae issues teams are trying to resolve.

“If you put fertilizer in the water, you get algae. Somebody said they might have put fertilizer, they did something to create the algae,” Trump stated, though no evidence was provided to validate these claims.

CBS News reached out to the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior, but no response has been received as of yet.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings received a no-bid contract for the sealant work on the Reflecting Pool’s floor. They informed CBS News of “some areas” requiring repair. The company emphasized that these issues are minor within the vast 7-acre project and do not indicate liner failure. They plan to initiate repairs once the pool is drained, aligning with park feasibility. Joe Walsh and Arden Farhi contributed to this report.