President Donald Trump gave a truly bizarre explanation on Monday for why his precious “American flag blue” paint is already peeling off the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, but his previous comments about the project directly contradict that explanation. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump claimed, without evidence, that “vandals” took a knife and slashed the paint on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool. “We have 100, and we have a, I think, 290, 300-foot slit right through it, probably a box cutter or a knife of some kind. We had people lifting up the basic, some of the [base]. It’s not a lot of damage, but we’ll probably have to let the water out and re-fix it,” Trump said. “They went in there with a knife. I was just told by the, by the people over at parks (National Park Service), they have five people are arrested and five people are under investigation right now, and it’s a sad thing.”However, based on a side-by-side video comparison posted by The Bulwark on Monday, it’s clear Trump didn’t think his explanation through. “This will last for at least 50 years, you’ll never have a leak. It’s very strong,” Trump said on May 4, talking about the renovations. “You couldn’t, if you had a knife. I don’t want to give anybody ideas. If you had a knife, you can’t even cut it. So strong, so powerful. It’s like powerful rubber.”Watch the full side-by-side comparison from The Bulwark here: Trump on the reflecting pool: "If you had a knife, you can't even cut it."Also, Trump on the reflecting pool: "They cut it." pic.twitter.com/uHfd69GKUa— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) June 22, 2026RelatedDonald Trumpwashington dcreflecting pool