Trump says Reflecting Pool repairs are near complete, refill to come ‘this week’

President Trump said Tuesday repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are close to complete and should be refilled with water “this week,” but still touted unfounded claims of vandalism.

“I think they’re going to fill it up this week,” Trump said in a video shared by the Rapid Respond 47 account on the social platform X, featuring the president talking to reporters outside the White House.

“The Reflecting Pool is totally complete, and we changed the old pipes we wanted to get open for July 4,” he said, later adding that “I think it’s almost complete, from what I understand.”

Trump also said new grass was installed in the grounds between the Reflecting Pool and the National World War II Memorial after it was “destroyed with the letters, the famous letters.” Etched in the grass were the numbers “86 47,” a sign of opposition to Trump, but the administration has insisted it was a call for political violence against the president.

“And that’s been just about completed,” Trump added.

The president also suggested that the issues with the pool since earlier this year were caused by vandals, though a recent filing from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro cast doubt on that narrative and instead blamed botched work.

“Well, we had vandalism there and we have it about as vandal-proof as you can get. But only sick people do that, and we have their pictures.”

Trump previously suggested late in August that the pool would “be opening in a few weeks. Will be a beauty. NO VANDALS PLEASE.” Weeks earlier, however, he claimed that there was “ some contractor error ” with the renovations that left part of the pool with “relatively inconsequential” damage.

The Reflecting Pool has been a source of controversy since the spring, when the president touted a multimillion-dollar project to restore it and coat the bottom with “American flag blue” paint. The work was done with no-bid contracts, a particular point of scrutiny.

The paint appeared to float to the pool’s surface in clumps after it was refilled, as the water appeared green due to algae blooms.

Trump, Pirro and the Interior Department said vandalism caused the damage, though Trump and Pirro have pointed toward the restoration being botched after charges were dropped for several people accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool.

One of those charged was former U.S. Olympian canoeist David Hearn, whose attorneys on Tuesday asked Department of Justice (DOJ) and Interior Department watchdogs to look into what they describe as a flawed investigation and prosecution.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman permanently dismissed the DOJ’s case, calling it a “lightning-fast indictment process,” and barred officials from charging Hearn again in the future. He suggested that Pirro’s office could resurrect the case if Trump possibly applied “political pressure” to prosecute anyone suspected of being vandals.