Fencing Set Up Around The Pool
A chain-link fence was put up around the grass surrounding the Reflecting Pool by Wednesday, but this was a safety precaution taken for the upcoming fireworks display. “We have it a little bit fenced off because we have a big fireworks display and tonight I’m making a speech,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “And people like my speeches, but I guess we’re going to have a lot of people over there.” The president spoke on a stage at the National Mall on Wednesday night, kicking off the country’s 250th anniversary celebration. A spokesperson for the Interior Department previously told the New York Times the fence went up earlier than usual due to an alleged “increase in vandalism by leftist activists.”
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Key Background
Trump drained the Reflecting Pool for renovations earlier this year, including adding an “American flag blue” paint job to the basin’s surface. The pool was refilled in June, but an algae bloom returned just days later, turning the pool a sickly green color. Visitors began seeing signs of damage to the new lining in the following days. Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for the damage, insisting on Tuesday that they carved a “350 foot gash” into the pool. At least six people have been arrested and another seven cited for vandalism, Trump and the Interior Department said the same day, although the nature of their charges are unclear. The Trump administration has not released visual evidence of the alleged vandalism as of Thursday morning.
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