Former Olympian is arrested for 'vandalizing' Reflecting Pool but claims he merely touched it

Published: 19:37, 20 June 2026 | Updated: 19:54, 20 June 2026 A three-time Olympian canoeist was arrested for allegedly vandalizing President Donald Trump's shining new Reflecting Pool in Washington DC but the athlete has claimed he merely touched it. David Hearn was arrested by Park Police officers on Friday for a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property after he said he simply touched the liner of the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Post reported.  He told the outlet that he rode past the memorial on a 52-mile bike ride when he noticed the liner was detached, and reached down to feel it.  'I didn't vandalize anything. I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,' Hearn said.  The Reflecting Pool has been a sore spot for the Trump administration, as grand plans to make the water 'American Blue' were thwarted by a persistent green algae.  The news of Hearn's arrest was first shared by video footage posted by online journalist Emily Miller, which showed multiple officers crowding around the former Olympian in full cycling gear.  Miller claimed that Hearn 'grabbed the hose that female National Park Service workers were using to clear the algae.'  Workers have been spotted attempting to clear the algae almost every day since Trump unveiled the glistening new pool.  David Hearn was arrested on Friday for destruction of government property in Washington DC. He previously competed on Team USA at the Olympics in the 90s  The Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial has been plagued by green algae despite a massive restoration project  Hearn denied the allegations to the Washington Post and said he did not vandalize the Reflecting Pool  Hearn's interaction with the police and National Guard appeared cordial. He asked the officers what he was being held for and whether he was free to go.  However, another clip revealed Hearn being handcuffed with his hands behind his back as several officers crowded around him.  Donald Trump posted about the alleged vandalism on Truth Social on Friday evening, although he did not refer to Hearn by name.  The president said that DC officials have had 'some real problems with vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,' referring to an incident earlier this week.  'It’s a shame that the Radical Left Lunatics, most likely Dumocats, who have spent their lives trying to ruin our Country, are free to do so,' Trump wrote. 'Law Enforcement is actively investigating this situation, and will hopefully have it resolved soon.' The president also accused 'lightweight ABC Reporter Jonathan Karl' of sticking his hand in the pool and trying to rub the water off the surface.  The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for further comment.   This is a breaking news story... The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.