By Amina Niasse
NEW YORK, June 21 (Reuters) – People caught vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Washington’s National Mall will be fully prosecuted, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said on Sunday.
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President Donald Trump has blamed vandalism for recent problems with the newly renovated pool, including its new blue paint peeling off. Citations for vandalism have been issued, Pirro said on Sunday, adding that even minor crimes must be prosecuted to keep the U.S. capital safe.
The peeling paint was visible in the 2,000-foot-long rectangular pool, a major national landmark, less than two weeks after Trump declared its $14.7 million renovation project completed on June 6. Trump on Saturday claimed, without providing evidence, that vandals poured corrosive chemicals into the pool.
“Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize will face the criminal justice system in D.C.,” Pirro told Fox News’ “Sunday Briefing” program.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump blamed “sick” and “deranged” people for the current state of the “seriously vandalized” pool. He had previously posted that the pool will be drained for repairs.
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The pool has also suffered an algae bloom that makes the water look green. Those adding products to the pool that can generate algae could face more severe charges, Pirro said.
Workers from the National Park Service earlier this week poured hydrogen peroxide into the pool to combat the algae.
Trump first brought up allegations of vandalism on Friday, when he posted on social media that 75% of the algae is gone. He also accused ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl of “trying to rip the rubber off of the surface” of the pool. ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Amina Niasse; Editing by Sergio Non, Nia Williams and Mark Porter)
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