Trump Says Vandals Hit $14.8 Million Reflecting Pool With Chemicals as "86 47" Probe Widens
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 20
Trump Says Vandals Hit $14.8 Million Reflecting Pool With Chemicals as "86 47" Probe Widens
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 20
Summary
Authorities are investigating after Trump said vandals used chemicals to damage the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s newly installed surface and nearby grass, calling the affected section small and repairable next week.
Trump tied the incident to the "86 47" message etched into National Mall grass about a week earlier, which administration officials described as threatening because "47" refers to him as president.
The vandalism claim lands as the $14.8 million restoration already faces scrutiny over peeling paint and algae that appeared days after Trump announced the project complete on June 6.
National Park Service crews this week deployed chemicals, ozone nanobubbles and vacuum equipment to fight the algae, and Trump said the growth is now 75% gone.
National Guard personnel and U.S. Park Police were seen patrolling the area Friday, underscoring heightened security around a renovation that has quickly become both a maintenance and political flashpoint.