U.S. Park Police seek help identifying Reflecting Pool vandalism suspect
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U.S. Park Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a person caught on camera as part of an investigation into damage to the Reflecting Pool and alleged destruction of government property in Washington, D.C.
Police said the incident happened around 3:36 p.m. Friday at the Reflecting Pool on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial in the nation’s capital.
Video released by police shows a person kneeling next to the Reflecting Pool and extending his arm into the water.
The person appears to have dark hair, wear a gray shirt and black shorts, and carry a light-colored bag.
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Police said the incident occurred around 3:36 p.m. Friday at the Reflecting Pool on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial in the nation’s capital. (US Park Police)
Police said the investigation follows President Donald Trump’s attempt to resurface the Reflecting Pool, which resulted in paint and algae peeling and the water turning swamp green from its intended “American Flag Blue” appearance.
Trump and other officials said several people were arrested and others were charged for allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool.
“They came down to the ground, probably with a box cutter or a very sharp razor or knife, and they cut and then they started chopping,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday. he said. “You know why? Because they’re sick people.”
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In the video released by police, a woman can be seen kneeling next to the Reflecting Pool and reaching her arm into the water. (US Park Police)
“These people should go to jail for a long time,” Trump said, adding that he believed the pool was damaged by what he called “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Trump said some water would come out of the pool so repairs could be made. The president had previously claimed that manure was spilled into the pool and caused algae growth.
“We have a huge grass area around the Reflecting Pool,” he said. “They poured acid on the grass, I think it’s the same people.”
National Park Service employees and contractors use vacuum cleaners to remove green algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., on June 18, 2026 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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“It did, you know, acid kills grass quickly, so this is being fixed,” Trump continued.
On Monday, he said the chemicals were “illegally placed in the water.”
