Trump claims Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalized; draining reveals only tire marks

Reflecting Pool Drain Reveals Tire Marks, Not "Vandalism" as Trump Claimed

The most recent draining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has cast further doubt on President Trump's claims of vandalism.

The president had attributed the failed renovation—after "American Flag Blue" paint began peeling off in large chunks and discoloring the water—to a "350-foot gash, made by a very sharp knife or razors." However, Monday's draining revealed no such damage, only what appeared to be tire marks, likely from the president's motorcade driving through the empty pool in May.

Despite the evidence, Trump continues to defend his claims.

In a late Monday post on Truth Social, he wrote:

"ABC Fake News and its shaky anchor, David Muir, said that the Reflecting Pool was drained to address Peeling Paint (there is no paint, it was slashed with a knife, or box cutter, high grade colored waterproofing liner—it was VANDALISM!) and Algae Blooms (also caused by Vandals, but removed long ago!). In other words, the story was FAKE NEWS, but heavily slanted away from the real cause of the problem, Vandalism. It will be fixed soon, and better than ever. 60 monuments and fountains have been cleaned and fully renovated in D.C., and crime is at record lows! Washington has never looked better, or been safer!"

Six people have been arrested for alleged vandalism, though one—former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn—claims he was only retrieving a large chunk of the pool's lining that had floated to the surface.

The president's account of the damage has shifted repeatedly:

• In June, he described the "gash" as 250 feet long
• It later changed to 300 feet, then 350 feet
• Most recently, he claimed it was 300 yards long—the size of three football fields

The recent draining revealed only what resembles tire marks, most likely left by the president himself. The failed vanity project has cost American taxpayers over $14 million.

ICE Kills Wrong Person in Maine Shooting, Officials Say

The man shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday was not their intended target, according to Maine Senator Angus King.

King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin informed him that ICE had a warrant for a different individual. The incident mirrors the case of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, who was also shot and killed by ICE last week.

"This development makes this tragedy even more disturbing and infuriating, and it underscores the reckless and haphazard manner in which immigration enforcement operations are being conducted in Maine and across the country. This has to end," Maine Governor Janet Mills said on X Monday evening.

The victim has been identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old from Colombia, according to King's office.

ICE claims that Guerrero attempted to "weaponize" his vehicle by ramming agents. Eyewitnesses dispute this account, stating that agents shot at the man's car. Video footage shows the Kia sedan riddled with bullet holes and still running. When agents stopped the vehicle, the man's body slumped to the ground as soon as the driver's side door was opened.

An eyewitness told the Portland Press Herald...