Trump Persists With Vandalism Claims Regarding Reflecting Pool Despite Official Court Filings

President Donald Trump is continuing to stand by assertions that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was destroyed by vandals, directly contradicting findings presented by federal prosecutors from his own administration who stated that a botched contractor installation ruined the pool’s lining.

While campaigning for Republican candidates in Perry, Georgia, Trump addressed supporters on Saturday, asserting that his administration had cleaned graffiti off monuments and statues across Washington, D.C. During his remarks, Trump repeated claims regarding capital vandalism that have been explicitly disproven by Trump-appointed federal prosecutors.

“Even the Reflecting Pool, you hear the fake news. So much fake news. It was built in 1922, and it hasn’t worked ever,” Trump claimed to the crowd. He characterized the site as “the longest swimming pool in history,” adding that “it goes all the way from Lincoln to George Washington, covers the whole territory and it always leaked.”

Trump also pointed to ongoing maintenance efforts at the landmark. “And we had tremendous vandalism. And we had it pretty well, but we’re gonna undo it anyway because we had to the pipes. We wanted to get it done for July 4 temporarily,” he said. Referring to the current refilling process, Trump added, “If you take a look, the water is at now 90 percent,” noting that it would take several additional days to completely refill the basin.

The public statements follow months of repeated claims by the president alleging that politically driven vandals were responsible for structural damage that actually stemmed from a contractor he personally selected to install a new pool lining last spring.

The condition of the Reflecting Pool has remained a frequent topic for the president, who has utilized social media to post multiple updates regarding its status. In a detailed post on Truth Social earlier in the week, Trump reported that the basin was “70% filled with water and looking good,” while adding a warning that individuals who caused damage to the area “will GO TO JAIL.”

By Friday, Trump shared another update indicating the pool had reached 85 percent capacity and was “looking really good!” In that same statement, the president reiterated his view of the site’s history and security measures. “It hasn’t worked properly since 1922, but will now. We have cameras set up to stop any potential Vandalism, including the grassed areas, which were destroyed by chemical poisoning with a large, and very inappropriate, phrase. The grass was completely replaced!” Trump wrote.

Throughout the week, the president has also distributed photographs of the landmark across his social media channels, including an aerial view of the Lincoln Memorial accompanied by the caption: “Back, and more beautiful than ever!”