Doug Burgum reveals no cameras at Reflecting Pool during vandalism

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum spoke with podcast host Katie Miller, wife of President Donald Trump advisor Stephen Miller, about how vandalism at the National Mall’s Reflecting Pool dates back to early June.

Burgum, who clashed with CNN’s Dana Bash on the issue on Sunday, discussed the issue at: “The Katie Miller Podcast” It was published on Tuesday.

“So I’m a bit of a conspiracy theorist, so I’m going to ask this question,” Miller began. “There are a lot of cameras in the pool. There are a lot of National Guardsmen. How did someone cut it and we don’t know who cut it?”

“We had little to no cameras in the beginning because we have cameras all over our monuments,” Burgum replied. “The reflecting pool is part of the Lincoln Memorial, but vandalism has never occurred before on this helpless, harmless reflecting pool.”

TRUMP SHARED THE NEWS REFLECTING THE ‘CRYSTAL NET’ POOL, CALLED FOR THE ARREST OF THE VANDALISM SUSPECT

“Until President Trump decided to make it pretty,” Miller said.

“Yes, until they decide to make it beautiful,” Burgum agreed. “And then others decided it was a point of attack.”

But he also noted how the White House suppresses such activities.

“But we do have mobile camera stations and towers that record some of the secondary activity. But we had some vandalism that started as early as June 9, and we didn’t advertise that because we didn’t want copycats,” he explained. “But we started installing cameras, today we have better camera coverage.”

Miller’s full interview with Burgum will be released at 6pm ET.

FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN ACCUSED OF REPRESENTING POOL VANDALISM

Workers continue to apply blue protective coating to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on May 30, 2026. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Amid criticism of Trump’s renovations in Washington, D.C., ahead of America’s 250th celebration, vandals targeted the National Mall, damaging multiple separate “8647” signs, a message written in blood on the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, prompting federal officials to warn of a growing trend.

This pattern emerged after President Donald Trump ordered the restoration and repainting of the Reflecting Pool, which was met with protesters leaving scores of “razor cuts” and removing fences and throwing them into the water.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS ON MEDIA AND CULTURE

Members of the National Guard pass by as workers apply a coat of paint to the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. President Donald Trump had previously ordered a renovation of the pool, which was drained ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, to be painted “American Flag Blue.” (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

CLICK TO REACH THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION

Fox News’ Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.