A former U.S. Olympian has been arrested over allegations that he damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
David Hearn, who competed in canoeing at three Olympic Games, said he was riding his bicycle past the landmark Friday when he stopped after spotting part of the pool’s liner floating on the surface.
President Trump later said that “many additional people” had also been taken into custody in connection with what he described as the “disgraceful Vandalism [sic].”
“What these terrible Vandals [sic] have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and should be dealt with accordingly,” Trump wrote Saturday in a post on Truth Social.
Trump alleged that those responsible poured damaging chemicals into the Reflecting Pool, forcing officials to drain it before repair work could begin.
“The Reflecting Pool was never so beautiful as it was just one week ago, even going back to 1922 when it opened. We are very proud of what we have done with this magnificent structure, and we will get it repaired, quickly, to an equal level of Beauty,” Trump wrote.
He attributed the pool’s deteriorated condition to the alleged vandals, only weeks after the completion of a $14.8 million restoration project.
Trump also pledged that repairs to the Reflecting Pool would be carried out as swiftly as possible.
Additionally, the grass at the National Mall was defaced after with giant etchings of the numbers “86 47.”
The numerical phrase came into prominence after former FBI Director James Comey posted a picture of the numbers written with seashells on Instagram in May 2025.
Comey was indicted in April on charges of allegedly threatening to kill President Trump. “86” is common restaurant slang meaning a person should be ejected from the establishment or an item should be disposed of.
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Hearn, 67, claimed to the Washington Post he reached out and touched the detached piece and let it go after a worker told him to. He was then taken into custody by Park Police.
Video of the incident went viral, with Hearn shown looking bewildered as he’s confronted by members of the National Guard and then put in cuffs by US Park Police.
“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told The Washington Post.
“I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs,” he said.
“I reached in there, and I was able to grab the end of that flapping piece, the already peeling piece. It was still attached to the bottom. I didn’t remove anything,” he explained.
The Bethesda, Maryland, man was drawn to check out the Reflecting Pool because of its newly installed “American flag blue” liner, which has been deteriorating amidst an algae bloom.
Hearn competed in the Whitewater Slalom Canoe in the Summer Olympics in 1992, 1996, and 2000.
He also won Gold at two World Championships in 1985 and 1995 and came away with silver medals five times.
In 1995, Hearn was honored as USA Canoe Kayak Male Athlete of the Year.
He was detained for almost five hours at a Park Police facility in Hains Point, according to the Washington Post.
He is scheduled to appear in DC Superior Court on July 9 to face a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property.
US Park Police did not respond to request for comment.
With Post Wires.
