President Donald Trump has been amplifying claims about the supposed vandalism-related “damage” to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, significantly increasing the length of the cut he initially reported last month.
On Monday, Trump commented on his Truth Social platform regarding crews draining the pool again due to persistent algae issues, coupled with expensive renovations during his administration. Experts suggest the pool’s surface damage might result from inadequate repair work.
Recently, Trump has alleged that vandals used a “knife or blade” to cut the pool’s surface, initially stating on Saturday, June 20 that the damage was 250 feet long.
By Monday, Trump asserted the supposed “gash” had extended to 300 feet, equating to the length of a football field minus the end zones.
By that evening, the “slit” was described as 350 feet long.
Three weeks later, Trump stated that the “slashes” on the pool measured 300 yards, claiming that the pool’s floor was “cut and then pulled upward, with great force, by these thugs.”
This length is nearly triple the height of the Statue of Liberty, which stands at 305 feet from the ground to the torch.
“These Country hating sleazebags should pay a big price for the damage done,” Trump wrote.
As of Tuesday morning, the exact location of the “slashes” on the pool remains unclear.
A photograph captured by photographer Joe Flood shows a pre-existing drainage line running down the pool’s center, along with other markings.
A White House spokesperson, when queried about the “slashes” on the pool, informed JS via email that the “gashes” are situated along the pool’s edge, locations not visible in Flood’s photograph.
In an email to JS, Flood noted that the pool’s floor—depicted in the photo and, according to Trump, “cut” then lifted by vandals—did not show any “slashes.” He added that he could not approach the area where the White House now claims the “slashes” exist.
Jose Luis Magana via Associated Press
Critics on X quickly ridiculed Trump’s latest claim, suggesting that vandals would have struggled to avoid detection while making such a significant tear underwater.
Others speculated that the damage could be attributed to Trump’s motorcade driving through the pool in May, with one user describing the president’s description as a “complete disconnect from reality.”
“He can’t even grasp how insane he looks,” commented @jimstewartson.
Tim Auerhahn, chair of the Aquatic Council, a pool and hot tub industry consulting firm, shared his concerns with The New York Times in May, noting that the motorcade crossing the pool’s surface could have placed significant pressure on the leaky joints between its concrete slabs after repairs, necessitating an “immediate inspection.”
