'Permanent repair' to Reflecting Pool to come around July 4, Trump says
Trump says there have been six arrests for alleged pond vandalism.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be drained again for "permanent repair" around the Fourth of July, and said that six people have now been arrested for alleged damage to the site.
The Reflecting Pool has been plagued with algae and peeling paint in the days since the Trump administration completed its renovation, which cost taxpayers more than $16 million.
Trump said in a social media post that "large areas of grass are being replaced" around the pool and that the administration "will drain some of the water, either immediately before or after the Fourth of July, to do the permanent repair."
Trump has blamed the Reflecting Pool's issues on vandals, though has yet to offer evidence.
"Six people have been arrested, and seven people have been cited, for the damage they did to our Country's now beautiful Reflecting Pool," Trump wrote in the post.
"The 350 foot gash, made by a very sharp knife or razors, is actually numerous slashes over a very long 350 foot length. It was purposefully and criminally done, and somebody had to work very hard, probably in the dark of night, to create such a condition. Likewise, the small area at the bottom of the Pool was cut and powerfully lifted off the surface leaving very jagged, uneven edges," Trump wrote.
On Monday, during an Oval Office event, Trump directed reporters to the Interior Department and the Parks Department for information on ongoing investigations into alleged damages but provided no evidence himself.
The Interior Department and the U.S. Park Police have not responded to multiple outreaches for evidence of the alleged vandalism.
Trump's post comes after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a Fox News interview on Monday night, said the number of vandalism-related arrests had risen to six.
Earlier on Monday afternoon, an Interior Department spokesperson said there had been five arrests for vandalism, five federal citations and 14 vandalism-related police reports.
Algae and leaks have long plagued the Reflecting Pool, which was constructed in the 1920s. Former President Barack Obama made his own attempt at renovations during his administration and spent roughly $35 million on the changes.
ABC's Emily Chang contributed to this report.
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