Man Who Wrecked Reflecting Pool Asks: 'Who Would Do Such A Thing?'

Man Who Wrecked Reflecting Pool Asks: 'Who Would Do Such A Thing?'President Donald Trump is pointing fingers at random passersby for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. We know who the real vandal is."The United States Park Police have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll [sic]," Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday.On Friday, a former Olympic canoeist was arrested and hit with a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property for allegedly vandalizing the reflecting pool — a charge he denies.“I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything," said David Hearns, 67. "By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”Over the past week, the reflecting pool has been covered in algae after Trump wasted around $14 million to repaint it. That paint is now peeling off and floating to the surface.On Friday night, Trump said it was "vandals" who used “chemicals” to “destroy and demean our beautiful work.”Trump didn't mention that workers have been spotted this week dumping gallons of hydrogen peroxide into the pool and wading out to filter the water by hand in an attempt to clean up his mess.Despite being the one who caused this latest American disaster, Trump asked Saturday who would possibly do such a terrible thing?"Who would do such a thing?" Trump posted. "These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair."Latest Live UpdatesIsraeli Strikes Kill 6, Including 2 Children And Al Jazeera CameramanDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday killed at least six people, including two children and a cameraman with broadcaster Al Jazeera, according to Palestinian health officials.Despite an October ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas, the enclave has seen near-daily Israeli attacks that have killed over 1,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.The first strike on Saturday hit an apartment in Gaza City around 2 a.m., according to the ministry. At the site, an Associated Press reporter saw rubble and chunks of concrete stained with blood.Read more: LAPD Releases Bodycam Video Of Officer Fatally Shooting Pet Dog Wearing Knicks ShirtThe Los Angeles Police Department released graphic body camera footage Friday showing the moment an officer fatally shot a pet dog inside an apartment complex last week.The widely publicized incident occurred on June 13 after police responded to a call from a neighbor who said she heard a woman screaming and requested a wellness check. The woman, Marie Marseille, later said she had been screaming in celebration of the New York Knicks’ NBA victory.The newly released video includes footage from the body cameras of two officers. In the footage, Marseille answers her door for the officers as her dog, a 2-year old Bernedoodle named Jameson, can be heard barking.Read more: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Expected To Resign: ReportsBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign from his position as early as Monday, according to multiple reports.Starmer has reportedly held conversations in recent days with cabinet ministers, advisers, trade union leaders, and party donors about stepping down.One source in the Labour Party told The Observer that Starmer would "arrange a deliberate slow march in good order, as a matter of duty and dignity" should he resign. Former Olympian Denies Vandalizing Reflecting Pool After ArrestA former Olympic canoeist arrested Friday on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property at the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., said in an interview with The Washington Post that he "didn't vandalize anything."“I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything," said David Hearns, 67. "By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”Hearns told the Post he had simply reached down to touch a piece of the peeling blue pool liner in order to see what it felt like. He also denied allegations from a conservative journalist that he had "grabbed" a hose being used by park workers.Friday night, Trump had blamed the Reflecting Pool's peeling liner problems in part on vandalism, alleging that people had been using "chemicals" to "destroy and demean our beautiful work."Italy's Meloni To Trump: 'My Popularity Is None Of Your Concern. I Suggest You Focus On Yours.'Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hit back at President Donald Trump's continued insults against her on Saturday, telling Trump to focus on his own dwindling popularity."These constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless," Meloni posted on Instagram in response to Trump's comments earlier in the day, where he once again claimed Meloni "asked, over and over, for a picture with me."Meloni previously called Trump's claim "completely fabricated." On Saturday, she said attempting to be Trump's friend "has certainly not helped" her own popularity."As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you," Meloni posted."My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours," she added.Trump Spends Saturday Posting 'Dumb' PollWhile Iran has again locked down the Strait of Hormuz following Israel's renewed attacks on Lebanon, President Donald Trump is spending his Saturday playing with polls.In one poll, Trump asked his MAGA supporters if they prefer to name "Dumocrat" or "Dumbocrat" and explained that the word "dumb" is spelled with a B. "POLL: Which do you prefer, Dumocrat or Dumbocrat?" Trump posted on Truth Social. "In one case, you simply exchange the 'e' for 'u,' so simple and precise (Many people don’t know, or assume, that DUMB ends in 'b'). In the other case, you spell out DUMB, but it seems to lose some of the identity to Democrats when done this way. Which is better?"In a second poll, Trump asked his supporters if the name of Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be renamed to National Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or NICE, as a way to troll liberals."POLL: ICE has been abused by the Fake News Media at levels never seen before," he posted in part. Trump blamed a dislike of ICE agents on "Dumocrats" and suggested it be changed to NICE."The concept I have had for quite some time — A strong feeling that the name of these Patriots, 'ICE,' should be changed to, 'NICE,' in that it will totally discombobulate Crooked, Dishonest, and Unpatriotic Reporters and Journalists. For them to say, 'We went to a NICE Facility today,' as opposed to 'ICE' or, 'NICE Agents have deported a Violent Drug Dealer,' they won’t be able to handle it, they will go totally crazy!"Trump Doubles Down On Dubious Meloni Photo Claim, Deepening Rift With RomePresident Donald Trump in a Truth Social post insisted that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked for a photo "over and over" with him during the G7 summit in France, reiterating his initial claim and deepening tensions with Rome."Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia [sic] Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France," Trump wrote amid a flurry of posts on Saturday, adding criticism that the prime minister is "doing poorly" in Italy.Earlier in the week at the summit, the president told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni "begged me for a picture." Trump said he only agreed because he "felt sorry for her."That claim — which Meloni has rejected as "completely fabricated" — prompted Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to abruptly cancel a planned visit to the U.S. this weekend, calling Trump's claims "serious and offensive" toward Meloni and Italy. FIFA World Cup Saturday: Four Matches TodayIt's Day 10 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with four Group E and Group F matchups in Houston, Kansas City, Toronto, and Monterrey. Here is today's schedule of games:Netherlands vs. Sweden at 1:00 p.m. ETGermany vs. Ivory Coast at 4:00 p.m. ETEcuador vs. Curaçao at 8:00 p.m. ETTunisia vs. Japan at 12:00 a.m. ETFollow HuffPost's live coverage here.Trump Claims Reflection Pool Was Vandalized Amid Algae Growth, Deteriorating Paint JobPresident Donald Trump late Friday night sought to pin the deteriorating paint job and algae growth at the Lincoln Memorial reflection pool on vandalism, and saw law enforcement will now be investigating the matter."We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool," Trump wrote as the administration scrambles to fix the pricey renovation. He also suggested the alleged vandalism was connected to the giant “8647” marking etched into National Mall grass days prior."The algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week," Trump claimed, adding that law enforcement is "actively investigating" the situation.In the days since the paint job was finished, massive clumps of algae have collected in the pool — a recurrent issue given the stagnant water and hot summer conditions in D.C. — stunting Trump's mandated site renovation for America's 250th Independence Day celebration. The administration has attempted various temporary mitigation strategies, including pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water to kill the growth. But another eyesore has been increasing chunks of "American blue" paint coating peeling off the bottom of concrete basin and floating to the surface, which tourists and observers have posted to social media this week.President Donald Trump Unveils The New Air Force One, A Converted Qatari JetANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday showed off the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet that has been converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft.The new aircraft eschews the Kennedy-era robin’s egg blue exterior of the old plane for a bolder look, with the underbelly of the plane painted navy blue with a red stripe above it. The plane’s left side, where the president boards, features the presidential seal, while the tail of the aircraft has a massive American flag on it.“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before,” Trump said from inside the massive Andrews Air Force Base hangar, as a couple hundred assembled Air Force personnel looked on. He spoke after stepping off the new plane in a dramatic flourish, as his signature tune “God Bless the USA” played.Read more:See All Updates