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June 25, 2026 / 1:56 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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Washington — A top official with the National Park Service said in a court filing Thursday that the agency reported damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool caused by a sharp knife over two weeks ago. Frank Lands, deputy director for operations for the National Park Service, said the park service reported the damage on June 9 to the U.S. Park Police. Lands' declaration is the first public record testifying to intentional damage of the pool, after President Trump blamed the renovated project's peeling surface on vandals. The president told reporters earlier this week that the National Park Service or Interior Department would provide evidence in court of what he called a 350-foot gash to the pool's coating. "On June 9, 2026, after the rehabilitation project was substantially complete, the U.S. Park Police responded to an NPS report of damage to the reflecting pool, including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material," Lands said in the court filing. "In addition, approximately 70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool."Lands, who assumed his current role in 2023, declared he has personal knowledge of the facts stated in his declaration and is willing to testify in court. It's not clear what kind of evidence the National Park Service has.
