The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., drained and relined at President Donald Trump’s direction ahead of America’s 250th-anniversary celebrations, has been afflicted by a rapid return of algae and the peeling of its newly applied blue coating. The basin was refilled in early June after a renovation that, according to the president, cost approximately $16 million. Within days, visitors reported green water and what appeared to be paint or lining detaching from the pool floor.

Trump has attributed the damage to sabotage, stating that vandals cut a gash of several hundred feet in the liner and introduced chemicals or fertiliser. The White House and the Interior Department have announced that at least seven people were arrested and seven more issued citations in connection with vandalism at the site. A court filing by a National Park Service official confirmed that a report was received on 9 June of a caulk seal cut with a sharp knife or razor, and that roughly 70 fence-post tops were thrown into the water. The U.S. Park Police have released images of an individual bending near the pool and are seeking information.

Publicly available federal court records, however, appear to confirm only a single criminal charge so far: former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was arrested on a misdemeanour destruction-of-property count after, he says, touching a loose piece of coating. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington noted that individuals who receive citations rather than arrests would not yet have a court record, leaving open the possibility that additional cases may be filed. The precise number of people facing prosecution therefore remains unverified, and no evidence has been presented publicly to substantiate the claim of a long knife-cut gash.

The pool’s troubles unfolded as the administration launched weeks of semiquincentennial events, including a rally-style speech by Trump on the National Mall at which he declared the pool “looks perfect already.” Several musical acts withdrew from the programme, citing its partisan character. The National Park Service has said it will drain the pool again after the 4 July holiday to assess and repair the lining. The investigation into the reported vandalism is ongoing.