David Hearn Arrested Over Alleged Vandalism At Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

A firestorm of allegations and arrests swirled around Washington’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after President Donald Trump said the U.S. Park Police had arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing the newly renovated site.

“Trump says multiple people arrested over alleged vandalism at Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Algae has been forming in the pool following a nearly $14M renovation”

ABC News

The Washington Post reported that David Hearn, a Bethesda man who had just finished a 52-mile bike ride, was arrested by U.S. Park Police on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property and is scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court on July 9.

ABC News

NPR said Trump claimed the pool would be drained and repaired again, quoting his Truth Social post that “Work will begin immediately on its repair.”

NBC News described the pool as a 2,030-foot site at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, where Trump blamed vandals for algae and peeling paint after the administration’s $14 million renovation project faced setbacks.

U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said her office would prosecute people caught vandalizing the Reflecting Pool, telling Fox News’s “The Sunday Briefing” that “Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize will face the criminal justice system in DC.”

The Hill reported that Pirro vowed to prosecute Reflection Pool vandals after the Trump administration spent nearly $15 million on renovations, repainting the surface blue and repairing leaks.

BBC

In a separate account, the Guardian said Trump told supporters that repair work would begin “immediately” and quoted his Truth Social post: “Work will begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool,” after he said he personally inspected the damage.

BBC News reported that David “Davey” Hearn, 67, denied vandalising the pool, saying he removed his cycling glove to touch a long strip of rubbery material that appeared to have “delaminated” from the bottom of the pool.

The dispute over the pool’s condition is tied to the renovation timeline for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, with the Guardian saying the reflecting pool was plagued by algae blooms and peeling paint following controversial renovation efforts for those celebrations.

ABC News said the Interior Department repainting job cost more than $14.65 million, and it described Trump’s claims that the painted surface was damaged by intentional sabotage, including his assertion that someone “took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade.”

The Washington Post also framed the arrest as a flashpoint for public criticism, noting that readers’ comments “express strong criticism of President Trump,” accusing him of mismanagement and corruption related to the Reflecting Pool’s refurbishment.

Meanwhile, NPR reported that Trump said the pool would be drained and repaired quickly after he claimed deliberate sabotage, while NPR also noted that neither Park Police nor any other law enforcement agency had publicly confirmed any arrests as of the time of publication.