Trump claims vandals damaged D.C. Reflecting Pool, and says it will be drained again

Key Points:

• President Trump claimed multiple arrests by the United States Park Police for vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, describing the damage as deliberate sabotage and a serious crime against national monuments, though no law enforcement agency has confirmed these arrests.
• Trump alleged the pool's lining suffered a "250-foot long gash" caused by a knife or blade and that corrosive chemicals were poured into the water, framing the vandalism as an affront to Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
• The pool turned green recently due to an algae bloom, a natural phenomenon confirmed by experts, contradicting Trump's implication that the discoloration resulted from vandalism or sabotage.
• The reflecting pool underwent a costly renovation, expanding from an estimated $2 million to over $14 million, including controversial no-bid contracts and a lawsuit over bypassed historic preservation reviews.
• Despite Trump's assertions, no evidence has been provided linking the pool's discoloration or any structural damage to vandalism, and a Maryland resident arrested for damaging government property denies wrongdoing.