The Park Police patrolling the Lincoln Memorial area on Friday afternoon observed an individual peeling paint from the #ReflectingPool, a spox said via email. The person was arrested on charges of destruction of government property.
WaPo later identified the person as 3X Olympian David Hearn. In an interview with WaPo, Hearn said he reached in the water after he noticed a piece of paint partially detached from the pool bottom. He said he did not damage govt property or “vandalize anything.”
#Trump claimed vandals “took some form of knife or blade, & put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade.” He also claimed they poured corrosive & destructive chemicals into the #ReflectingPool. WaPo could not verify any of his allegations.
Pool experts’ explanations for the damage diverged from Trump’s. Steve Goodale, a swimming-pool expert who viewed footage of the peeled sheet of paint, said he believes the pool’s surface may have been improperly prepared for treatment.