Reflecting Pool liner was cut with a sharp knife or razor, National Park Service says
Jun 25, 2026, 9:18 AM | Updated: 11:22 pm
The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool are seen from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Credit: AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
(AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor this month, causing damage to the foam sealant installed as part of a $16 million rehabilitation project, a top official at the National Park Service says.
The agency reported the June 9 incident to U.S. Park Police, said Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the park service. Lands made the statement in a court document filed late Wednesday as part of a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit organization to halt the Trump administration’s work on the project.
The police report indicates damage to the pool, “including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material,” Lands said. About 70 fence post tops also were thrown into the pool, he said.
The statements mark the first time the Republican administration has offered specifics for when and how the Reflecting Pool may have been damaged after work on the project was substantially completed.
President Donald Trump and other officials have repeatedly blamed, without evidence, unidentified vandals for peeling paint and other problems. Six people have been arrested, Trump said this week, without providing details.
