Trump touts Reflecting Pool arrests as critics flag recycled algae photos
Trump an Interior Department tally cited by Trump listed 7 arrests, 7 federal citations and 19 incident reports at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where a troubled $16 million renovation still faces scrutiny.
WHITE HOUSE — Donald Trump shared Interior Department law enforcement figures for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on a Truth Social post on July 6, 2026 at 10:01 AM EST.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “From Greg Wischer at the United States Department of the Interior: “Latest Law Enforcement numbers from the Reflecting Pool: 7 arrests, 7 additional people issued Federal citations, 19 incidents/reports filed. Here is the Reflecting Pool tonight!””
The figures came from Greg Wischer, a critical minerals consultant serving as a deputy assistant secretary at the Interior Department (see ibtimes.co.uk). Wischer has repeatedly featured in Trump posts defending the Reflecting Pool renovation, including an earlier memo crediting “advanced nanobubbler technology” for killing algae in the basin (see ibtimes.co.uk).
The renovation has drawn intense scrutiny. Work on the 6.75 million-gallon pool began in April and ran past $16 million, roughly $4 million above the original no-bid contract, according to reporting (see ibtimes.co.uk). Contractors drained the basin, coated it in sealant and refilled it in early June, only for green algae to spread across the surface within days.
“It’s no longer leaking 45,000 gallons a day,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on ABC’s “This Week” on July 5, calling the project “a big success” and the water “crystal clear” (see ibtimes.co.uk). Critics countered that images the administration circulated as fresh evidence had first surfaced on X on June 17, weeks earlier (see ibtimes.co.uk).
The law enforcement tally connects to a contested vandalism case. On July 2, a grand jury in Washington’s Superior Court indicted David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic canoeist from Bethesda, Maryland, on one count of felony destruction of property, a charge carrying a maximum of 10 years in prison (see ibtimes.co.uk). Prosecutors have said about half a dozen further cases tied to the site remain under review (see ibtimes.co.uk).
In the last 30 days, 26 of 538 Trump posts were on the topic “Crime.”
Source: Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Note: Chart generated on July 6, 2026 at 10:05 AM EST
Source: Zenger analysis
Note: Table generated by https://zenger.news on July 6, 2026 at 10:05 AM EST