'There's 24/7 video surveillance': Rep. Ted Lieu questions Trump's Reflecting Pool vandalism claims

The recently renovated Reflecting Pool on the National Mall has been plagued with algae blooms, and its new "American Flag Blue" coating is reportedly peeling off as well. While critics claim President Donald Trump's $14 million project was a failure, he claims there is something more nefarious at work. Over the weekend, the President repeatedly claimed that the pool was vandalised and criminals cut off the coating from the bottom and poured corrosive chemicals into the water. Critics, including Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu, soon dismissed the claims, pointing out that such acts would be quickly noticed, as the monument is under heavy security with 24/7 video surveillance. 

President Trump, on Saturday, claimed that the United States Park Police have arrested multiple people for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, days after reports of a major algae bloom surfaced. In his Truth Social post, Trump referenced the giant "86 47" marked in grass on the National Mall and claimed that "corrosive and destructive chemicals" were poured into the pool by vandals, causing the lining to peel. He also alleged that "took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250-foot-long gash into the beautiful facade," to undermine the renovation work. Lieu quickly pointed out that if someone had indeed cut a 250-foot gash, they would be caught on camera. "There is a 24/7 camera that shows the reflecting pool," he noted. "Trump is lying again. Everyone knows it, but the people at @TheJusticeDept  are randomly going after people to soothe Trump’s fragile ego."

According to CBS News, officials confirmed that five people had been arrested for vandalism and another five were issued citations as of Saturday night for destructive behavior. Furthermore, a total of 14 police reports have been filed, an official told the publication, and one of the reports is regarding an unidentified individual who Trump claimed cut a 250-foot-long gash. 

While the details of the arrests have not been made public, one of the arrested individuals has been identified as David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympian from Maryland. As per the BBC, Hearn, who stopped by the pool while on a 64-mile bike ride, said authorities arrested him and held him for five hours on Friday after he reached down into the pool. The champion canoeist told the publication that he didn't do anything to the coating and was simply touching the paint. "I didn't destroy, rip, tear, peel, or remove any part," he said. "The condition of any part of the reflecting pool didn't change. It wasn't affected. It was the same before I got there as when I walked away from it," he added, calling the arrest "an arbitrary, capricious prosecution."

Lieu's claims aren't completely unfounded, as official records show the Reflecting Pool is one of the most heavily watched areas in the country. EarthCam operates a 24/7, high-resolution 5G camera that is embedded in the pyramidion at the very top of the Washington Monument, and it oversees the entirety of the pool. The camera feed is live, public, and archived, and anyone can access the footage on EarthCam's website. Furthermore, the United States Park Police has additional surveillance covering the Lincoln Memorial area, which has been functional since 2003. 

Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday announced on Truth Social that work would  "begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool," adding he had inspected the pool himself and the pool may need to be drained and repaired to restore it to "an equal level of Beauty" as before. "We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible," he wrote.