Mall Vandals Escalate — 18 Reports, No Photos

Court documents now allege that vandals used a sharp knife or razor to slash the newly restored Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — and the attacks appear to be part of a growing, organized effort to sabotage one of America’s most iconic monuments.

Story Highlights

A National Park Service official filed a court affidavit stating the pool liner was cut with a sharp knife or razor, and about 70 fence post tops were thrown into the water.
Seven people have been arrested and seven federal citations issued across multiple vandalism incidents, with 18 police reports filed in total.
The National Mall has seen a wave of related attacks, including “86 47” markings burned into grass and a blood-written message on the Washington Monument.
Key questions remain open — no photos of the alleged 350-foot gash have been released, and toxicology results for three dead ducks found nearby are still pending.

What Court Documents Actually Say

Frank Lands, the National Park Service’s deputy director for operations, filed a court affidavit this week stating that the Reflecting Pool’s liner was cut “with a sharp knife or razor.” The document also states that U.S. Park Police observed the damage on June 9, including cuts to fresh caulk and what the filing describes as “destruction of delaminating surface material.” The affidavit further alleges that about 70 metal fence post tops were pulled from the surrounding barrier and thrown into the water.

The Interior Department confirmed that seven people have been arrested and seven federal citations issued in connection with multiple vandalism incidents at the pool. A total of 18 police reports have been filed. Interior Department communications director Katie Martin told Fox News that officials initially stayed quiet about the June 9 incident to avoid inspiring copycat attacks. “It wasn’t until several days thereafter that recurring cases and videos of people ripping at the coating began to circulate,” she said.

A Broader Pattern of Targeted Attacks

The Reflecting Pool incidents are not happening in a vacuum. Fox News reported that vandals have hit the National Mall with multiple separate “86 47” markings — a phrase the Trump administration says is a threat against the president, with “86” being slang for elimination. A blood-written message was also found on the Washington Monument. The numbers were burned so deeply into the National Mall grass that they were visible from a camera atop the Washington Monument, just days before Trump’s 80th birthday celebration.

The Reflecting Pool itself is at the center of a $14 million restoration project tied to America’s 250th anniversary. Trump ordered the work to restore and repaint the pool. Critics say the problems — algae growth and peeling paint — are the result of poor project management, not sabotage. Algae growth is a natural result of sunlight and organic material in open water, and reports confirmed that Trump’s motorcade drove through the empty pool after it was painted but before it was refilled, which could have damaged the fresh coating.

Arrests Made, but Questions Linger

One of the more high-profile arrests involved David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic canoe racer from Bethesda, Maryland. Authorities allege he reached into the pool and grabbed a hose being used by a National Park Service worker. Hearn told ABC News he only “reached out and touched” a piece of peeling paint and did not “rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part” of the pool. He was charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.

A defendant charged in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case hires prominent anti-Trump attorney Norm Eisen as new court filings reveal the extent of the alleged damage. pic.twitter.com/xytSkBLQA7

— Robert Gouveia Esq. (@RobGouveiaEsq) June 27, 2026

President Trump claimed a 350-foot gash was cut into the pool bottom and promised photos would be released. As of Tuesday afternoon, no images had been made public. The Washington Post said its reporters visited the site and could not spot a gash matching that description. No toxicology reports have yet confirmed what killed three ducks found dead near the pool, leaving Trump’s claim that destructive chemicals were placed in the water unverified for now. The evidence in court documents supports real vandalism occurred — but the full scope remains disputed and the case is still unfolding.