Reflecting pool was cut with ‘sharp knife or razor’, National Park Service says

A National Park Service worker uses a vacuum to remove algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool on 20 June. Photograph: Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images View image in fullscreen A National Park Service worker uses a vacuum to remove algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool on 20 June. Photograph: Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images Reflecting pool was cut with ‘sharp knife or razor’, National Park Service says Senior official alleges in court filing that damage included about ‘70 fence post tops thrown’ into the pool A senior National Park Service (NPS) official has said a liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool was “cut with a sharp knife or razor” earlier this month, repeating Donald Trump’s claims of vandalism. Frank Lands, the deputy director for operations for NPS, made the allegation in a court filing on Wednesday, as part of a lawsuit brought by a nonprofit group seeking to stop the US president’s renovation of the site. Trump claims ‘vandals’ foiled his $14m revamp of DC’s reflecting pool. What actually happened? Read more In the document, Lands said that on 9 June, after the renovation project of Washington’s reflecting pool was “substantially complete”, US Park Service police responded to an “NPS report of damage to the reflecting pool”. The filing states that the damage includes “a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material”, with Lands adding that “approximately 70 fence post tops” were also “thrown” into the water. NPS “plans to begin draining the reflecting pool following the Independence Day celebration to conduct repairs, including assessing and repairing any damage to the lining”, Lands said. The statement comes amid controversy surrounding Trump’s $14.2m renovation project of the reflecting pool, which he pitched as a bid to turn it “American flag blue” ahead of the country’s 250th birthday celebrations. Only days after the project was completed , an algae bloom turned the water green , and NPS workers were deployed to the site, where they were seen using skimmers and adding hydrogen peroxide to the water in an effort to improve the water quality. Large flakes of the blue coating were later seen peeling from the basin and floating on the surface. Over the weekend, Trump blamed unidentified vandals for the problems. And on Sunday, without providing further details, he claimed “multiple individuals” had been arrested by US park police for “vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll”. A three-time US Olympian and canoeist, David Hearn, was arrested on Friday. Hearn, who denies the vandalism claims, told the Washington Post , that after noticing a partly detached piece of the blue liner, he reached into the water to see what it felt like. Moments later, he said he was arrested on misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property. Trump under pressure to back up claim of sabotage at reflec