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By Anna Commander
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President Donald Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool already looks "perfect" after what he described as recent acts of vandalism plaguing the historical landmark in the nation's capital.
Speaking during festivities marking the start of America's 250th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., Trump told guests Wednesday night that the massive Reflecting Pool had been "gruesomely vandalized by thugs, bad people," but added that he saw it recently and that it looks good.
"The Reflecting Pool that you've heard so much about, which is so incredible, it's been gruesomely vandalized," Trump said in part. He reassured supporters that the damage would soon be fully addressed, saying the pool would be restored to the condition it was in just weeks earlier.
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"In fact, I looked at it just a little while ago. It looks perfect already. But we're fixing it. The vandals got to it. They've largely been caught and are being prosecuted. We can't let that happen to our country. Can't let that happen. But it looks beautiful," Trump said in part.
Newsweek reached out to the White House Wednesday night for additional comment.
What To Know
The president's comments follow recent scrutiny over algae blooms and more afflicting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, issues that administration officials have linked to acts of vandalism.
Trump also alleged that people used chemicals and cut a 350-foot gash into the pool's lining. In a post to Truth Social ahead of the speech on Wednesday, he said, "This is the hard rubber surface — No Paint — Before the Vandals cut and pulled it apart!"
Security presence around the Reflecting Pool has also been expanded in recent days, with fencing erected around portions of it.
The Interior Department previously told Newsweek that the barriers were originally planned ahead of the upcoming Independence Day holiday. "With the increase in vandalism by leftist activists, the fencing is going up earlier than originally planned to ensure no more damage is done to this historic site," the department said in part.
Claims that the pool was vandalized remain under scrutiny, as the administration has not publicly released evidence supporting the allegations.
Trump's remarks came as he formally kicked off celebrations leading up to the nation's 250th birthday. By pointing to the Lincoln pool's restoration, the president likely sought to underscore what he's described as the administration's commitment to beautify the nation's capital.
Democratic Senator Pressures Administration on Reflecting Pool
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal is pressing the Trump administration and alleged contractors involved in the Reflecting Pool renovation for answers amid ongoing problems with the project.
Blumenthal, senior senator of Connecticut, has raised concerns about contracts awarded to firms with alleged ties to Trump and whether the contractors were qualified for the work.
“The apparently flawed work undertaken by Greenwater has failed to prevent algae blooms from immediately recurring in the Reflecting Pool. This sequence of events once again raises troubling questions about whether excess taxpayer dollars are being diverted to President Trump’s manifestly unqualified friends and associates, resulting in shoddy care for our nation’s landmarks at an enormous expense to taxpayers,” Blumenthal wrote in part in a letter Wednesday to John J. Cafaro and Greenwater Services Chief Executive Officer Al George.
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
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