The government is looking for scapegoats. Or maybe just some kids with spray cans. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro declared Sunday that anyone caught messing with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will face the full, unmitigated wrath of the D.C. criminal justice system. It seems the newly minted, $14.7 million face-lift is already falling apart, and the administration needs someone to blame.
The paint is peeling. Specifically, the fresh blue coating on the 2,000-foot landmark started flaking off less than two weeks after President Donald Trump bragged about completing the massive renovation on June 6. Trump, never one to let a good crisis go to waste, immediately pointed fingers. He claimed, without offering a shred of proof, that shadowy vandals dumped corrosive chemicals into the water.
Pirro backed him up. Speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Briefing,” she confirmed that citations have already been written. She insists that prosecuting even petty offenses is the only way to keep the nation’s capital from sliding into chaos. “Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize will face the criminal justice system in D.C.,” she warned.
It gets worse. The water turned green. An algae bloom has choked the pool, prompting National Park Service workers to dump hydrogen peroxide into the water earlier this week. Pirro warned that anyone caught tossing stuff into the pool to feed the slime could face even heavier charges.
Trump is keeping score. On Friday, he took to social media to boast that 75% of the algae had been cleared. Then he took a bizarre swipe at ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl, accusing him of trying to physically rip the rubber lining off the pool’s surface. ABC didn’t bother to reply. Just another week in Washington.
