Trump announces immediate repairs to Reflecting Pool after aerial inspection

President Donald Trump said he inspected the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., from a helicopter on Sunday and announced that repairs would start immediately. The pool, which recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation that included a new coat of blue paint, continues to experience algae growth that has turned the water green and reports of paint peeling.

Trump posted on his social-media platform that the pool had been "seriously vandalized" and expressed shock at the damage. He added that the work would begin without delay.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told Fox News that anyone found vandalizing the pool would face prosecution, saying, "> Anyone who is in a position of vandalising or attempting to vandalise will face the criminal justice system in DC."

A senior administration official reported that five individuals had been arrested and five others cited for vandalism on Saturday night, with a total of 14 police reports filed. The U.S. Park Police did not confirm the arrest figures.

The Reflecting Pool, built in the 1920s and spanning 2,030 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, has a history of leaks, structural issues, and algae blooms. Officials have been treating the water with chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide to control the recent algae outbreak, identified as the harmless species Desmodesmus by a George Mason University aquatic ecology professor.

A photographer also reported a dead duckling found floating in the pool over the weekend, though the cause of death remains unclear.