President Donald Trump announced Saturday night that much of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s water will be drained for repairs after “many additional people have been arrested” for vandalism at the high-profile monument.
The pool has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s efforts to restore national symbols in Washington, D.C.
The multimillion-dollar project involved repainting the bottom of the pool “American flag blue,” but it has since turned green from algae. Pictures have surfaced showing the paint peeling.
“We met with contractors today, and 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.”
The announcement came hours after U.S. Park Police arrested a former Olympian and cyclist for allegedly vandalizing the monument.
Trump posted the update on Truth Social, saying contractors met with officials Saturday to assess the damage.
The repairs are expected to begin as soon as the draining process is complete.
