WASHINGTON, June 29 (DC Times Online) — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said federal authorities will prosecute vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to the fullest extent of the law after investigators said a roughly 350-foot cut damaged the National Mall landmark in Washington, D.C.
Burgum said on Fox News that investigators believe the liner was sliced with a box cutter or a similar sharp instrument. A court filing by an Interior Department official described the damage as a cut made with a sharp knife or razor.
Public accounts of the arrests and citations have varied. Burgum said authorities had made seven arrests, issued multiple citations and filed 18 police reports. NBC News reported President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that six people had been arrested and seven others cited, while the BBC reported U.S. Park Police said five people had been arrested and five others received federal citations.
The public reports did not identify all of the people arrested or cited, and they did not include charges, case numbers or court filings naming defendants.
Burgum said fencing has been installed around the Reflecting Pool as officials prepare for July 4 events on the National Mall.
