On Monday, July 16th, 2026, former US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool had been drained again for repairs. He attributed the damage to vandalism, claiming workers were fixing "scars and damage" caused by vandals using a knife or box cutter.

Trump has repeatedly revised the size of the alleged "gash" in the pool's lining. Initially, he described the damage as 250 feet, then 300 feet, later 350 feet, and in his latest post, he claimed the "slashes" stretched for 300 yards. Despite these claims, photos and videos of the empty pool do not show obvious signs of such extensive damage.

Attorney Matt Rein, who visited the site, stated online that he saw no clear evidence of a large cut and that a worker also reported not seeing one. The Trump administration has not released any photos or physical evidence to substantiate the vandalism claims, despite insisting that such images exist.

These developments have raised fresh questions about the accuracy of Trump's account and the existence of the alleged damage.

Sources