U.S. Park Police Arrest David Hearn for Reflecting Pool Vandalism After Trump Blames Vandals

President Donald Trump blamed vandalism for problems at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after paint began peeling and the water turned green from an algae bloom following a renovation he ordered.

“WASHINGTON — The paint is peeling from Washington’s Reflecting Pool after the renovation ordered by President Donald Trump, and he is now alleging that someone damaged it intentionally”

Chicago Tribune

U.S. Park Police arrested David Hearn, a 67-year-old Bethesda, Maryland, man, on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property after he reached into the pool to see what a partially detached piece of the new “American flag blue” liner felt like.

CNN

Hearn said he touched the pool’s detached liner but “didn’t destroy or break or peel anything,” and he was scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court on July 9.

The Washington Post reported that Trump has accused vandals of sabotaging the refurbishment, and the Chicago Tribune noted Trump offered no details to substantiate his claim.

The dispute unfolded as the pool sat between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial, with Trump posting that “We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool.”

Trump linked the Reflecting Pool allegations to the numbers “86 47” etched into grass on the National Mall, and he said “No 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.”

The Guardian reported that Trump later claimed “multiple individuals” had been arrested by US park police for “vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll,” while also saying the algae problem was “75% gone” and would soon be “completely remedied.”

Inquirer

In response to Trump’s sabotage narrative, Adam Kinzinger wrote, “Has Trump ever admitted failure once? He's now claiming sabotage on the reflective pool,” and added “His brain is filled with tapioca and raisins.”

CNN described how tourists and local residents flocked to the site, with some filming federal workers pouring bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the water and others taking photos and videos of the murky green water.

The Washington Times also reported that Trump said the algae is “75% gone” and that the vandalized area was “just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week.”

The renovation and its aftermath have become a national flashpoint, with CNN saying the $14 million renovation was set back by a persistent algae problem and the peeling of a blue material from the repainted bottom of the pool.

“Trump tries to blame Reflecting Poll woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation In a social media post, he says that chemicals were used to "destroy and demean our beautiful work”

Inquirer

Trump’s project was meant to turn the pool “American flag” blue ahead of the America 250 celebrations, and the Chicago Tribune said the rehabbing drew scrutiny after the pool was beset by an algae bloom and swaths of loose blue paint detached from the bottom.

Federal workers treated the algae with chemicals, and the Washington Times said the National Park Service began combating the bloom by pouring in containers of 12% hydrogen peroxide and nanobubble ozone technology.

The Guardian reported that Trump acknowledged “real problems” after the algae bloom and blamed “vandalism,” while also noting that he claimed vandals had been arrested and that law enforcement is “actively investigating this situation.”

Beyond the immediate cleanup, CNN reported that the paint change triggered a lawsuit from a nonprofit group arguing the project violates federal laws requiring the Interior Department to complete a consultation process before beginning the work.