Trump Installs AI Cameras, Deploys National Guard To Patrol Algae-Filled Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

President Trump has escalated security around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, installing artificial intelligence surveillance cameras and chain-link fencing while deploying National Guard soldiers to patrol the site following a costly renovation gone wrong.Mr. Trump spent $14 million in taxpayer funds to restore the Washington landmark ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary on July 4. Yet the project, awarded through a no-bid contract to a Trump ally, has been beset by problems since the pool was refilled. A vivid green algae bloom has spread across the water, while the freshly applied “American Flag Blue” coating — selected personally by the president — has been peeling away in large chunks. Mr. Trump has repeatedly blamed the deterioration on vandals, offering little evidence to support the claim. In posts on Truth Social, he accused “SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE” of sabotaging the pool and alleged that a “300-foot-long gash” had been carved into the paint and that “chemicals have been illegally placed in the water.”“It was purposefully and criminally done, and somebody had to work very hard, probably in the dark of night, to create such a condition,” Mr. Trump wrote on his social media platform.The whole brouhaha has even entered the courts, with a group called The Cultural Landscape Foundation suing the U.S. Department of the Interior. In a court filing on Monday, the group asked the U.S. District for Washington, D.C., to “require defendants to undertake the study required by Congress before they perform significant additional work and more damage is done.”“It should go without saying, Congress required agencies to consult with experts and the publicbefore making changes to historic properties for a reason. The public is now witnessing whathappens when, instead, agencies barrel ahead with ill-conceived plans in a hasty manner to meet an arbitrary deadline imposed by the White House,” the foundation said in its filing.Judge Carl Nichols on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to respond by the end of the day.The new AI cameras, installed late Tuesday, feature real-time tracking, intrusion detection, HD monitoring, strobe lights, automated spotlights, and a loudspeaker, according to reports. Contractors were later seen erecting chain-mail fencing around the perimeter.The U.S. Department of the Interior said the fencing had always been planned ahead of Independence Day, as one of the fireworks launch pads sits near the pool. However, the agency said the timeline had been moved up. “With the increase in vandalism by leftist activists, the fencing is going up earlier than originally planned to ensure no more damage is done to this historic site,” an Interior spokesman said in a statement.Several people have been arrested for allegedly touching the water or the peeling paint. Among them is David Hearn, 67, who is a former Olympic canoe racer from Bethesda, Maryland. Mr. Hearn told the Associated Press he reached into the pool out of curiosity to examine the coating, briefly touching a piece still attached to the side before letting go when a park employee asked him to. He said National Guard troops and park police detained him for five hours.“I’m a curious citizen,” Mr. Hearn said. “I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.” Represented by attorney Norm Eisen, he has vowed to fight the charges of destroying federal property.Independent assessments suggest the damage may be self-inflicted. Two experts consulted by TMZ concluded the coating likely never properly bonded to the surface during installation. Tests commissioned by the Atlantic found an aggressive new algae strain spreading through the water.Mr. Trump has confirmed the pool will likely need to be drained again for permanent repairs, either shortly before or after July 4.

Trump Installs AI Cameras, Deploys National Guard To Patrol Algae-Filled Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

Trump Installs AI Cameras, Deploys National Guard To Patrol Algae-Filled Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

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