A senior National Park Service official has dropped a bombshell claim that a liner along the bottom of the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was “cut with a sharp knife or razor” earlier this month — adding fuel to President Trump’s fiery accusations of deliberate vandalism at one of America’s most sacred landmarks.

Frank Lands, deputy director for operations at the NPS, made the allegation in a court filing Wednesday as part of a lawsuit by a non-profit group trying to halt Trump’s high-profile renovation project. Lands said that on June 9, after the multimillion-dollar makeover was “substantially complete,” Park Police responded to reports of damage including cut caulk, destroyed delaminating surface material, and approximately 70 fence post tops thrown into the water.

The NPS now plans to drain the pool after Independence Day celebrations to assess and repair the alleged sabotage.

This escalating controversy surrounding the Reflecting Pool — which Trump personally pushed to repaint a vibrant “American-flag blue” ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary — has become a lightning rod for debate. What was intended as a gleaming symbol of national pride quickly turned green with algae and began peeling, prompting Trump to blame unidentified vandals and even claim multiple arrests had been made.

The arrest of three-time Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who says he simply reached in to touch a already-flapping piece of the liner, has only intensified questions about whether this is genuine sabotage or overzealous enforcement. Meanwhile, a New York Times report citing government documents suggests the cuts found were not directly linked to the peeling coating or algae bloom, further muddying the narrative.

As pressure mounts for the administration to release concrete evidence, this saga raises intriguing questions about the intersection of politics, preservation, and public perception at the heart of the National Mall. What started as a renovation project has morphed into a battle over truth, accountability, and how America maintains its most visible symbols of history.