Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, on Sunday said her office would prosecute individuals caught vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after the Trump administration spent millions on renovations.
“Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize the Reflecting Pool will face the criminal justice system in D.C.,” Pirro said during an appearance on Fox News’s “The Sunday Briefing.” “Look, the president has made it a priority to make D.C. not only safe, but beautiful.”
The Trump administration has spent nearly $15 million on the Reflecting Pool, repainting its surface blue and repairing leaks. But a massive algae bloom and peeling paint have thrown a wrench in the restoration. President Trump signaled Saturday that the pool will likely be drained for repairs.
“We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible,” Trump wrote on social media late Saturday.
The U.S. attorney said several citations have been issued to individuals who have defaced federal property, while noting the people involved would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“If there are more serious products that are put into the Reflecting Pool to create more algae or a bigger problem, then we’ll consider more serious charges,” Pirro told host Peter Doocy.
“But make no mistake, making D.C. beautiful is a priority. And if you damage, vandalize or do anything to impact something like the reflective pool, you can be prosecuted,” she added.
On Friday, Trump stated there have been “real problems with vandalism” at the pool and on the National Mall.
Earlier this month, the numbers “86 47” were etched in grass near the Reflecting Pool, days before the president’s 80th birthday and the UFC fight held at the White House. Trump has argued the phrase is a death threat, alleging the term “86” is slang for “kill.”
“No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” Trump said Friday.
The president has faced intense criticism over his efforts to overhaul the nation’s capital by tending to historic monuments and adding a few of his own.
Trump says the administration has cleaned, renovated and “beautified” more than 45 monuments and memorials, 28 statues, and 22 fountains in Washington, D.C.
