WASHINGTON, June 29 (DC Times Online) — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said federal authorities have made seven arrests and will prosecute vandalism to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., to the fullest extent of the law.
Burgum said on Fox News that investigators believe vandals cut about 350 feet of the pool’s liner with a box cutter or similar sharp tool. He said the damage was an attack on one of the nation’s most sacred monuments.
“These are our most sacred monuments, and they [the perpetrators] are gonna be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Burgum said. “When people are attacking it [the Reflecting Pool], it is like an attack on our country.”
The Reflecting Pool sits on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial, and the damage comes as federal officials prepare for July 4 events and fireworks around the monument.
Accounts of the arrests and citations have varied in recent public statements. Burgum said seven arrests had been made, multiple citations were issued and 18 police reports were filed. NBC News reported that President Donald Trump said six people had been arrested and seven others cited in a Truth Social post. BBC reported that U.S. Park Police said five people had been arrested and five others had received federal citations.
A recent court filing and a National Park Service representative said the liner at the bottom of the pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor, according to BBC and WGXA. The exact date of the vandalism was not clear in the reporting, and officials have not publicly identified all of the people arrested or cited.
