Ex-Olympian charged with 'vandalising' Reflecting Pool as Trump rages
A former Olympian has reportedly been arrested for allegedly vandalising the newly renovated Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, as US President Donald Trump raged about sabotage online.
The Trump administration renovated the pool, a public monument and the site of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech, to have an “American Flag blue” appearance.
National Guard members patrol beside the renovated Reflecting Pool. AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
However, since the $US14 million ($19.9 million) renovation, blooms of algae - a recurring problem which Trump said the new upholstering would fix - have continued to spread on the pool’s surface.
The material on the vaunted blue surface has also been seen peeling, prompting a wave of images and materials on social media.
Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn in 1999. Quentin Jones
Now, the Washington Post has reported that former US Olympic canoeist David Hearn was arrested at the site of the monument and charged with vandalising it.
Hearn told the outlet he had simply been cycling past when he noticed the blue lining was peeling and stopped to touch it.
Trump alluded to multiple arrests over the issue, blaming vandals for the pool’s state and threatening lengthy prison sentences.
“The United States Park Police have arrested multiple individuals for vandalising our Nations (sic) magnificent Reflecting Poll. Who would do such a thing?” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.”
The pool’s renovation has been one of Trump’s pet causes in his second term.
Supporters applaud his effort to “clean up” Washington DC, while detractors have bemoaned the money spent on what critics claim are vanity projects.
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