Photo montage shows the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington D.C., in the United States, on June 12, 16, and 18, 2026, after renovations to the reflecting pool to paint it blue. REUTERS/Eric Lee/Evan Vucci/Annabelle Gordon Former Olympic athlete David Hearn, who represented the United States in canoe slalom in three editions of the Olympic Games, stated that he was arrested by police on Friday (19) after touching a part of the blue lining that was partially detached at the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington. "I saw a loose end of this blue lining. I reached out and touched the end of this piece, which was detached but still attached to the bottom," Hearn told ABC News.
"I managed to reach and touch the edge of this part that was still fixed to the bottom and handled it a little. I did not remove, did not damage, did not tear, did not break, did not destroy, nor did I cause any damage to any part of the reflecting pool". According to him, the officers began to handcuff him without formally informing him what charges would be filed.
The former athlete also said he was not informed of his rights, was held for five hours without being able to make phone calls, and was only released afterward. The former athlete is expected to appear in American court in July. The arrest comes amid controversy over the $14.65 million renovation of the site, which is facing problems with algae and peeling paint just days after being completed.
This weekend, Donald Trump tried to attribute the problems to acts of vandalism, without presenting evidence. Understand the case Paint begins to peel in Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool days after renovation The historic pool was drained and renovated for the 250th anniversary celebrations of U.S. Independence by order of Trump. The American president's wish was to remove the greenish tone of the reflecting pool, derived from the proliferation of algae, and paint the bottom blue. However, less than two weeks after Trump announced the end of the work, visitors to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. began to notice that the paint of the reflecting pool was peeling off the bottom and mixing with the water. The work had a $14.7 million contract (about R$ 75.6 million) without a bidding process. "We have had some real problems with vandalism at the beautiful reflecting pool," Trump wrote on his social network on Friday night (19).
“Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass around the pool, they also did everything to damage the internal surface that was just installed.” Trump did not provide details to prove the accusation. Visitors watch as a National Park Service employee uses a vacuum to clean the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington on Friday (19) Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo The work on the Lincoln Memorial pool was also part of Trump's broad plans to reshape Washington. The American president's plans also include the construction of a new ballroom where the East Wing of the White House used to be and the construction of a large arch near Arlington National Cemetery, for example. The agencies responsible for the security and maintenance of the National Mall, such as the National Park Service, did not respond to requests for comment. The "Washington Post" reported that Park Police arrested someone on Friday for, according to them, tearing paint off the pool. Trump insisted that something suspicious was happening.
“It is no different from the chemicals used on the National Mall; they used something similar in the reflecting pool to try to destroy and disparage our beautiful work,” he wrote on Truth Social. He was referring to the discovery, the previous week, of large numbers engraved in the discolored grass of the National Mall: "86 47". Authorities said the numbers could have been a threat to Trump, the 47th president.
The number 86 can be slang for “get rid of”. The case is under investigation. Trump's statements came after days of negative attention regarding the state of the reflecting pool, whose renovation he promoted for over $14 million for the U.S. 250th anniversary celebrations. Shortly after the work, there was a proliferation of algae that turned the water green again — a color Trump tried to replace by ordering the bottom to be painted “American flag blue”. Federal employees treated the water with chemicals to eliminate the algae. Now, parts of the blue paint have come off, exposing the rocky bottom. Bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool with part of the paint peeling Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo.
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