A Reflecting Pool that has long enticed visitors now gains police scrutiny
Kevin Conley looks through a chain link fence at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. AP Photo by Carolyn Kaster
The Associated Press
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is many things.
Murky. Peaceful. Stinky. The backdrop for protests, vigils, celebrations and stunning sunrise photos. Beset by gnats and algae. Scenery for a run. A key part of the capital’s carefully designed monumental core. The location of an iconic scene in “Forrest Gump.”
One thing it’s generally not: a strictly enforced police zone.
Entering the pool has always been illegal, but, in general, the most someone wading into the water might expect is a direction from a police officer to get out.
But that has changed since President Donald Trump insisted last weekend, without providing evidence, that vandals were responsible for damage to the pool’s liner, undermining his renovation efforts after he blamed previous presidents for ignoring deterioration. Court documents filed this week show that the National Park Service reported to the U.S. Park Police a June 9 incident in which a sharp knife or razor cut the pool’s new liner.
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