Updated
Updated · The Atlantic · Jun 26
Interior Department Confirms 7 Arrests Over Lincoln Pool Damage, Citing 18 Police Reports
Updated
Updated · The Atlantic · Jun 26

Interior Department Confirms 7 Arrests Over Lincoln Pool Damage, Citing 18 Police Reports

3 articles · Updated · The Atlantic · Jun 26

Summary

  • Seven arrests, seven federal citations and 18 police reports have been logged over damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, an Interior Department spokesperson said.
  • The agency says someone cut the pool’s liner with a sharp knife or razor earlier this month, damaging the foam sealant and deepening problems at the troubled renovation site.
  • The arrest count remains disputed: public records cited by MS Now reportedly show only one identified arrestee, former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who said he was touching a peeled-off piece of paint.
  • The vandalism claims land amid a broader fiasco over the pool’s rushed overhaul for the 250th anniversary, a project Trump has defended as costs swelled to about $16.4 million.

Insights

Why did a $16.4 million renovation result in a landmark pool under military guard just before its debut?
As experts’ warnings prove true, can science salvage the iconic Reflecting Pool before the national celebration?