President Donald Trump sharply criticized ABC News and anchor David Muir on Monday night after the network reported on repair work at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, accusing the outlet of downplaying what his administration says was an act of vandalism.
The president posted two messages on Truth Social after new images showed the Reflecting Pool partially drained once again. Trump said the work was necessary to repair damage he attributed to vandals and argued that media coverage failed to accurately describe the reason for the project.
According to Trump, the administration intentionally delayed the repairs until after the July 4 holiday weekend before draining the pool.
“We drained the beautiful ‘Reflecting Pool’ today in order to fix the scars and damage that was done by the Vandals two weeks ago,” Trump wrote.
The president claimed the damage involved significant cuts to the pool’s waterproof lining.
“The slashes were 300 yards long, and the floor of the pool was cut and then pulled upward, with great force, by these thugs,” Trump said, adding that the National Park Service emptied the pool so crews could repair its “water tight basin” before refilling it.
Trump also called for those responsible to face consequences.
“These Country hating sleazebags should pay a big price for the damage done,” he wrote.
Earlier Monday evening, ABC’s “World News Tonight” reported that the Reflecting Pool had been drained for a second time in recent months. During the broadcast, anchor David Muir told viewers that work crews were addressing multiple maintenance issues.
According to Muir, crews were dealing with “several issues, including peeling paint and algae blooms.”
Approximately two hours after the broadcast aired, Trump responded by accusing ABC News of presenting an inaccurate account of the repairs and overlooking what he described as the true cause of the damage.
“ABC Fake News and its shaky anchor, David Muir, said that the Reflecting Pool was drained to address Peeling Paint (there is no paint, it was slashed with a knife, or box cutter, high grade colored waterproofing liner – it was VANDALISM!) and Algae Blooms (also caused by Vandals, but removed long ago!),” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president went on to argue that ABC’s report shifted attention away from what he said was the central issue.
“In other words, the story was FAKE NEWS, but heavily slanted away from the real cause of the problem, Vandalism,” Trump continued.
Trump also expressed confidence that the Reflecting Pool would soon be restored.
“It will be fixed soon, and better than ever,” he wrote.
The president used the post to highlight broader restoration efforts in the nation’s capital, stating that “60 monuments and fountains have been cleaned and fully renovated in D.C.”
He also praised conditions in Washington, writing that crime is “at record lows” and adding, “Washington has never looked better, or been safer!”
Monday’s exchange marks the latest chapter in Trump’s long-running dispute with ABC News. The president has repeatedly criticized the network’s reporting over the years and renewed those attacks following the Reflecting Pool coverage.
The latest criticism also comes after Trump secured a $16 million settlement from ABC News in a 2024 defamation lawsuit, continuing a contentious relationship between the president and the network that has frequently played out in public statements and legal battles.
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