A National Park Service official said in a court filing Wednesday that the agency reported apparent vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after someone allegedly cut part of the pool’s sealant with a knife or razor.
Frank Lands, the park service’s deputy director for operations, said the damage was reported to the U.S. Park Police on June 9, shortly after work on the $16 million rehabilitation project was largely finished, according to the court filing. His declaration appears to be the first public account from the agency describing the alleged vandalism, which President Donald Trump has cited in defending the project’s condition.
“On June 9, 2026, after the rehabilitation project was substantially complete, the U.S. Park Police responded to an NPS report of damage to the reflecting pool, including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material,” Lands said. “In addition, approximately 70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool.”
According to Lands, investigators found that caulk covering the foam sealant had been sliced with a sharp blade and that sections of the pool’s surface had been damaged. He also said roughly 70 fence post caps had been thrown into the reflecting pool.
Earlier this week, Trump told reporters the National Park Service or the Interior Department would present evidence in court supporting his claim that vandals caused what he described as a 350-foot gash in the pool’s protective coating.
“I saw it. They cut it. They cut it very violently,” Trump said. “The same thing with the floor. They cut it and then they lifted it. They pulled it. And that’s what it is.”
Lands said he has personal knowledge of the facts outlined in his declaration and is prepared to testify in court if needed. The filing, however, does not describe what evidence investigators have linking the damage to a suspect.