Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revealed that vandalism of the National Mall's Reflecting Pool began in early June, a detail he shared on "The Katie Miller Podcast." Burgum indicated that initial security measures were limited, with few cameras present at the pool's outset.
"We had very few or no cameras at the beginning, because we have cameras all over our monuments," Burgum told podcast host Katie Miller. "The reflecting pool is part of the Lincoln Memorial, but there had never been vandalism on this helpless, harmless reflecting pool before."
Burgum stated that the vandalism escalated after President Trump ordered a restoration and repainting of the Reflecting Pool. "And then others decided it was a point of attack," he said, referring to the subsequent damage.
He explained that mobile camera stations and towers were deployed to capture some of the activity, but that initial vandalism occurred on June 9. "We didn't want to have copycats," Burgum noted as the reason for not publicizing the early incidents. "But we started putting up cameras, we've got better camera coverage today."
The pattern of vandalism, which included "razor-blade cuts" and markings, emerged after Trump's renovation announcement. Federal officials have issued warnings about a growing trend of such damage at national monuments.