Fact Checking Trump’s Claims About the Reflecting Pool
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TL;DR
- President Trump is defending his administration's $16 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool against claims of damage and algae.
- Trump alleged vandals caused damage and contamination, and that previous administrations spent over $100 million on the pool.
- Fact-checking indicates Trump's claim about previous spending is false; the Obama administration spent $35.3 million on a rehabilitation project.
- While six arrests and seven citations related to incidents at the pool are supported, publicly available information does not fully link them to all alleged damages.
- Evidence for a 350-foot gash and unauthorized chemical use is not publicly available, though sealant damage and fence post destruction have been reported.
- A 'gigantic 86 47' marking appeared on a grass field, with the Department of the Interior investigating it as vandalism, but the use of chemicals to create it is unconfirmed.