WASHINGTON, June 29 (DC Times Online) — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said federal authorities will pursue full prosecution after alleged vandalism damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., ahead of July 4 festivities.
Burgum said investigators believe a sharp tool cut about 350 feet of the pool’s liner. He said, “These are our most sacred monuments,” and added that the people responsible would be prosecuted “to the full extent of the law.”
The Interior Department has said there were seven arrests and seven citations connected to the damage, while Burgum said authorities filed 18 police reports. President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that six people had been arrested and seven others cited, and the U.S. Park Police told BBC there had been five arrests and five federal citations.
The available statements did not identify any formal charges, defendants or case numbers. A court filing and a National Park Service account described the damage as a cut made with a sharp knife or razor, though other accounts referred to a box cutter or similar instrument.
Burgum said fencing has been installed around the Reflecting Pool as the city prepares for holiday events. The site sits under federal jurisdiction on the National Mall.
