Fencing was spotted on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, June 24, following allegations from President Donald Trump of vandalism of the newly-renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and ahead of the Great American State Fair kickoff.
The fencing is regularly erected for for Fourth of July festivities but is going up early this year, according to a statement from the Department of the Interior.
“The Reflecting Pool was always set to be fenced off ahead of the 4th of July. As in years prior, one of the launch pads for the fireworks is around the pool so fencing is put up to ensure public safety,” the statement read.
As of Wednesday, people were still able to access the Reflecting Pool and walk freely around it.
Here’s what we know.
Fencing had already been around the pool throughout the spring during the two-month-long renovations, which Trump said were completed June 6.
Since then, the pool has been plagued with issues, including green algae discoloring large portions of the water and paint peeling off and rising to the pool’s surface.
Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday, June 23, that six people were arrested for vandalizing the pool and blamed the damage on them.
“It’s vandalism,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We have a 290-, 300-foot slit right through it, probably a box-cutter or a knife of some kind.”
“They cut it very violently,” he added, without providing evidence.
Trump deferred questions about the criminal investigation and the proof of intentional damage to the pool to the National Park Service, which manages the National Mall where the pool is located, and its parent organization, the Department of the Interior. Neither agency responded immediately to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the alleged vandalism.
The company that renovated the pool, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, said the areas requiring repairs were “a very small part of the massive 7-acre project, and do not indicate a failure of the liner.”
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority issued a permit to drain the 2,000-foot-long rectangular pool for repairs, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
Trump added on Truth Social that the Reflecting Pool is still “as beautiful as it can be.”
“We will drain some of the water, either immediately before or after the Fourth of July, to do the permanent repair,” Trump’s post said.
The cost of the pool renovation has risen to $16 million, federal contracting records show.
Fencing was seen June 23 near the Reflecting Pool, including by the World War II Memorial.
It was not set up around the perimeter of the pool.
Rather than the sidewalks that line the Reflecting Pool, most of the fencing was placed on a secondary path beyond the pool and closer to the nearby streets.
Signage on one fence said, “Danger: Explosives. Authorized personnel only,” indicating a possible area to set off fireworks.
Security around the Reflecting Pool and surrounding areas is also tight with the Great American State Fair scheduled to kick off Wednesday, June 24. The extra security is part of a big boost to protect Trump-backed Freedom 250 events in the nation’s capital.
Other upcoming events include a keynote address from Trump on July 4 and what’s been touted as the largest fireworks show in American history. In August, Washington, DC, will also host a first-of-its-kind IndyCar race through the capital.
The events are expected to draw hundreds of thousands to the city over the next two months, officials estimate.
Federal authorities say security threats against the festivities are more than theoretical. The rally comes less than two weeks after authorities say they stopped an elaborate plot against the June 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House involving drones and explosives.
This story was updated to add new information.
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