Trump threatens serious criminal penalties for those he says ‘vandalized’ the Reflecting Pool

(CNN) — President Donald Trump called Monday for those he accused of vandalizing the newly renovated, and now quickly deteriorating, Reflecting Pool on the National Mall to face serious criminal charges that could result in lengthy prison sentences.

In a Truth Social post, the president lamented the state of the pool, which he said had been “vandalized.”

“Please remember that there is a 10 year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things – Which will be fully enforced!” Trump wrote.

While prosecutors in Washington, DC, haven’t yet formally brought charges, the Justice Department must decide in the coming days how aggressively it will pursue people who were arrested and cited over the weekend as the pool’s new bottom layer was peeling off.

Trump’s recent renovation, totaling $14 million, marked the latest in the president’s efforts to beautify Washington, but the project has been plagued by algae blooms and blue material peeling off the bottom. He said Sunday the landmark would need to be drained for repairs due to the alleged vandalism — with less than two weeks until America’s big 250th birthday celebration and tourists already descending on the nation’s capital.

Meanwhile, National Guard members, Park Police and other law enforcement were present around the Reflecting Pool on Monday. Law enforcement also brought in trailers with security cameras to monitor the area.

The violations cited by the US Park Police, at least initially, are misdemeanors in DC’s local Superior Court — for vandalizing, disorderly conduct or defacing public property.

But Trump’s post suggested the cases could be charged as more serious crimes if Jeanine Pirro, US Attorney for the District of Columbia, decides they should.

The US attorney’s office says it is still reviewing a handful of citations issued over the weekend but hasn’t yet brought any charges in court.

Pirro, speaking on Fox News over the weekend, said those who vandalized or tried to vandalize the pool will “face the criminal justice system in DC.”

“There are several citations that have been handed out to individuals, and these are cases that will be prosecuted to the full extent,” she said. “If there are more serious products that are put into the Reflecting Pool to create more algae or a bigger problem, then we’ll consider more serious charges.”

A destruction of government property offense could be charged as a felony in federal court if the damage is pricey. That type of federal criminal charge carries a maximum fine of up to $250,000 or 10 years in prison, though maximum sentences are exceedingly rare in practice.

Trump on Monday described a “350-foot slit” in the Reflecting Pool — an increase in length from his previous characterizations — and claimed it was “cut very violently” with a knife, later saying photos would be released “at the right time.”

The president, who suggested the images would be seen “in court,” referred reporters to the Interior Department. CNN has reached out to the department for the photos that Trump referenced.

So far, one person, David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told CNN that police arrested him after he touched a flap of blue material that partially detached from the bottom of the pool, which reopened earlier this month following Trump’s multimillion-dollar renovation.

Hearn said a National Park Service worker warned him not to reach into the water before he was handcuffed by Park Police. He denied vandalizing the pool and said he was simply curious. His first court appearance is set for July 9.

A Department of Interior spokesperson told CNN that five people had been arrested for vandalism, while an additional five people were issued federal citations. Fourteen police reports have been filed for vandalism, the spokesperson said.

“The U.S. Park Police will continue to carry out their number one duty of upholding law and order in our nation’s capital,” the spokesperson added.

The Park Police didn’t respond on Monday to further inquiries, including about the identities of the people accused of vandalizing the pool.

The saga has become a sort of a political Rorschach test: For Trump supporters, the vandalism alleged by the president is the latest example of Trump opponents stopping at nothing to wreck his efforts to beautify the nation’s capital.

For the president’s critics, the back-and-forth demonstrates yet another way in which Trump seems to be preoccupied with his multiple renovation projects despite the war with Iran and the resulting high prices for gas and groceries.

Lawyers for a nonprofit suing over how the administration carried out the pool renovation told the judge overseeing the case that the recent algae bloom and peeling bottom reinforce the need to require the administration to follow certain procedural steps.

“As Defendants determine how to get out of their self-created mess, and restore the Reflecting Pool, Defendants can and should do what the law requires: Engage with experts and the public, and make an informed decision about what is best based on the consultations mandated by the law, instead of once again rushing ahead with half-baked ideas,” the lawyers wrote in court papers filed Monday.

Trump has also complained about a giant depiction of the numbers “8647” etched into a patch of grass near the Reflecting Pool earlier this month. The Trump administration has interpreted the phrase as a threat against the president’s life, while Trump opponents say it is merely meant to signal opposition to the 47th president.

Trump’s stance on the destruction of federal property also contrasts with his pardoning of over 1,000 participants in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol — including those who vandalized the building — in one of the first official acts of his second term.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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CNN’s Devan Cole, Aleena Fayaz, Betsy Klein and Dugald McConnell contributed to this report.