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US Park Police arrest former Olympian for vandalism of Reflecting Pool

David Hearn said he only touched a loose section of the renovated pool liner as cleanup crews battled algae and peeling paint.

  • On Friday, U.S. Park Police arrested Olympian David Hearn, 67, near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on misdemeanor charges of destruction of government property after he allegedly touched detached paint.
  • President Donald Trump recently claimed the $14 million renovated Reflecting Pool suffered from "vandalism," alleging "Radical Left Lunatics" used chemicals to sabotage the newly restored site.
  • Conservative journalist Emily Miller posted video claiming Hearn "grabbed the hose" used by cleanup crews, though Hearn told The Washington Post he only reached to touch "American Flag Blue" sealant.
  • Separate images show National Guard members stationed along the walkways and stone edges of the pool, maintaining a visible security presence over the past two days.
  • Engineer Tyler Dailey noted reflecting pools lack typical filtration systems, meaning "there's no sanitization of any kind," making algae control difficult despite the pool's $14 million renovation.
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Shortly after the expensive remediation of the famous Washington water basin, the soil is released and algae are spreading again. Trump's cause is clear: sabotage with chemicals. But a man's arrest raises questions.

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RedState broke the news in Washington, United States on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
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