Trump erects fence around Reflecting Pool to deter vandals as foul-mouthed activist arrested for berating troops

Published: 06:31, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 06:41, 24 June 2026 President Trump's $16 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has led to arrests, alleged vandalism, and now a newly erected chain link fence. The fence was erected on Tuesday around the Reflecting Pool after another person was taken away in cuffs from the memorial. The president's blitz of a remodel - as part of America's 250th birthday celebration - has already resulted in controversy. The 'American flag blue' used by crews to coat the pool was quickly shrouded by algae green. The recently installed fence comes shortly after Trump claimed vandals slashed a 350 ft mark into the pool. However, the Department of the Interior told the Independent that the perimeter is standard procedure ahead of the US's anniversary. 'The Reflecting Pool was always set to be fenced off ahead of the 4th of July,' wrote the Department of the Interior in a statement. 'As in years prior, one of the launch pads for the fireworks is around the pool so fencing is put up to ensure public safety. 'With the increase in vandalism by leftist activists, the fencing is going up earlier than originally planned to ensure no more damage is done to this historic site.' A fence was erected on Tuesday around Donald Trump's $16 million Reflecting Pool remodel The Department of the Interior told the Independent: 'The Reflecting Pool was always set to be fenced off ahead of the 4th of July' The fence went up after a number of arrests made in connection with the pool. The president said on Tuesday morning that six arrests had already been made and that several had been cited for vandalizing the memorial. Christian Miles told the Guardian how he was placed in cuffs for allegedly berating a group of Oklahoma state troopers guarding the reflecting pool. The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House to verify if Miles was one of the six the President was referring to. Miles, who is a former US Navy submariner, added that he was charged with violating a federal obscenity law and was at the pool that day to protest the high level of security. He also uploaded an edited clip of his interaction with authorities to his YouTube channel, which is politically charged and features similar content.  Christian Miles told the Guardian how he was placed in cuffs for allegedly berating a group of Oklahoma state troopers guarding the reflecting pool Miles, who is a former US Navy submariner, added that he was charged with violating a federal obscenity law and was at the pool that day to protest the high level of security On Friday, three-time US Olympian David Hearn was arrested for what the President has called vandalism. Hearn has maintained he 'didn't destroy, rip, tear, peel, or remove any part' of the paint that was loose in the water. 'The condition of any part of the reflecting pool didn't change,' he said. Several individuals have been ticketed or detained for poking around the pool, including one man who toyed with a hose, putting water into the pool last week, and another man heckling authorities on Monday. 'Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize ​will face the criminal justice system in DC,' US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro told Fox ​News on Sunday.  'We’ve received only a handful of citations which we will review,' a representative for her office told the Daily Mail in a statement. Trump has said the Reflecting Pool will now be drained and redone as he has pushed to get beautification projects in the capital finished ahead of the country's 250th birthday on July 4. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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.