Former President Donald Trump has significantly increased his description of alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, now claiming "slashes" on the pool measure 300 yards in length. This claim represents a nearly threefold expansion of the damage he initially reported last month.
Trump first stated on Saturday, June 20, that vandals had created a "gash" in the pool's surface measuring 250 feet. By Monday, he had increased this to 300 feet, later describing it as a "slit" of 350 feet. The most recent assertion, made on his Truth Social platform, states the pool's floor was "cut and then pulled upward, with great force, by these thugs."
The stated length of 300 yards is equivalent to nearly three football fields and is taller than the Statue of Liberty, which stands 305 feet from its base to the torch. Trump stated that these individuals "should pay a big price for the damage done."
It remains unclear where these specific "slashes" are located. A photograph taken by Joe Flood shows a pre-existing line in the center of the pool used for drainage, along with other markings.
Critics have questioned the magnitude of Trump's claims, with some suggesting it would be difficult for vandals to cause such damage unnoticed. Others have raised the possibility that Trump's motorcade driving through the pool in May, following recent renovations, could have contributed to any existing damage. Tim Auerhahn, chair of the Aquatic Council, previously expressed concerns to The New York Times that the weight of the motorcade could have stressed leaky joints between concrete slabs, recommending an immediate inspection. Some users on X have described Trump's latest statement as a "total collapse of reality."