US President Donald Trump announced last night that six people have been arrested for damaging the "Water Mirror" in front of the Lincoln Memorial, the Associated Press reported. The iconic site in Washington is increasingly becoming a hot spot due to the failed project worth more than $ 14 million for its restoration, the agency notes.
In a post on social networks, Trump said, without providing evidence, that the paint on the site had been seriously damaged. The administration is trying to meet a self-imposed deadline to fix the botched renovation before the country's 250th anniversary next week.
Trump added that seven other people have been sanctioned for damaging the water feature. "This was done intentionally and criminally, and someone had to work very hard, probably in the dark of night," he wrote.
The U.S. Department of the Interior and local police have not yet responded to requests for comment on Trump's claims, the AP notes.
The agency said it was able to confirm that a man was arrested after touching the peeling paint as federal officials tried to deal with the spread of algae in the water. The coating was applied as part of a renovation project for the more than century-old facility, which also included applying a new coat of paint to its bottom in a color that Trump called "the blue of the American flag."
Trump said that "some of the water" would be drained from the facility "either just before or after July 4th to make permanent repairs." His post did not say what the scale, scope or cost of the permanent repairs would be.
National Guard and police officers are patrolling the facility after Trump insisted vandals were responsible for the damage to its cladding.
Trump presented the initial improvements as aimed at cleaning, beautifying and strengthening an iconic site that he said had become desolate and dirty due to the negligence of previous presidents.
A few weeks after he announced the restoration was completed in time for Independence Day, the water was stained by a bloom of bright green algae.