Federal authorities have arrested at least five people and issued citations to five others in connection with alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, an administration official confirmed Monday. The moves come as President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric about the incident, warning of lengthy prison sentences for anyone involved.
Trump claimed Saturday that vandals had carved a 250-foot gash into the Reflecting Pool's facade. By Monday, he was describing the damage as a 300-foot-long cut, posting on Truth Social that chemicals had been illegally placed in the water. He called for enforcement of a 10-year federal prison sentence for destruction or attempted destruction of such landmarks.
Among those arrested was David "Davey" Hearn, a former U.S. Olympic canoeist. Hearn told NBC News he was detained for five hours Friday after touching a piece of detached coating at the pool. The circumstances surrounding the other arrests remain unclear.
Over the weekend, Trump met with contractors at Camp David about the Reflecting Pool and indicated it would likely need to be drained again. Marine One was spotted flying over the area Sunday, and Trump later said he had personally inspected the site.
The underlying allegations remain murky. Investigators flagged damage on grass near the Reflecting Pool that allegedly included an "8647" message. According to federal prosecutors, the number 47 combined with "86" a slang term for removal or destruction, has been interpreted as a threat against Trump, who is the nation's 47th president.
No social media postings or clear photographic evidence of the alleged grass damage has surfaced publicly. The extent of any actual harm to the Reflecting Pool itself has not been formally documented by authorities.
The incident unfolds as preparations continue for the nation's 250th birthday celebration in two weeks. Trump has positioned the alleged damage as part of a broader attack on American landmarks.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The scale of the arrests and Trump's increasingly dramatic descriptions don't yet align with what's been publicly documented, leaving real questions about what actually happened at the pool."
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