The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is surrounded by fencing. So is Lafayette Park, just north of the White House. The Great American State Fair, on the National Mall, is encased by so much fencing \u2014 several panels labeled with the word \u201cFREEDOM\u201d \u2014 that it is difficult to reach several Smithsonian museums or a nearby Metro station.<\/p>\n
Presiding over a series of fenced-off or under-construction festivities ahead of the country\u2019s 250th celebration is President Trump, who does not seem to mind that some of the nation\u2019s most enduring symbols of liberty and expression are closed off and militarized.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood Morning from the Pool!\u201d he wrote on social media<\/a> late last week, posting an image of three soldiers standing guard at the pool\u2019s edge, just in front of the Lincoln Memorial.<\/p>\n In his drive to \u201cbeautify\u201d the nation\u2019s capital, Mr. Trump seems to have turned portions of the city into either a construction zone or an armed camp as he seeks to prove that he alone can improve a city he interacts with primarily from his armored limousine or presidential helicopter.<\/p>\n His work on the Reflecting Pool, in particular, has brought out a well-established pattern of Mr. Trump\u2019s personality: a tendency to blame his critics and threaten to punish them.<\/p>\n In recent days, confronted with images of peeling rubbery coating and water that had turned from \u201cAmerican flag blue\u201d to Mountain Dew green, Mr. Trump has accused vandals of slashing the sides and bottom of the pool. This comes as internal records show that National Park Service workers had for weeks been concerned about an array of issues related to the refinishing project, including holes in the new layers<\/a> of waterproofing on the bottom.<\/p>\n Mr. Trump also said that the green tint in the pool had been caused by \u201ccriminally made algae.\u201d He has repeatedly threatened 10-year prison terms for anyone caught vandalizing national monuments.<\/p>\n As the hunt for vandals continues, federal officials have effectively closed off access to the Reflecting Pool. The administration put fencing up last week, and now officials say the pool will remain closed off ahead of a large, late-night fireworks show planned for this weekend.<\/p>\n According to a Trump administration official, seven people have been arrested, seven have received federal citations and 19 police reports have been filed related to vandalism at the Reflecting Pool. An official with the United States attorney\u2019s office in Washington said on Tuesday that no records of arrests or citations<\/a> had yet been produced by the administration or law enforcement officials to support the president\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n Timothy L. O\u2019Brien, a biographer of Mr. Trump, said that what was happening now was in keeping with how Mr. Trump had behaved for much of his life in business and in politics.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a vivid example of him overestimating his own abilities, the nature of the problem, thinking his magic powers could overcome everything,\u201d Mr. O\u2019Brien said in an interview. \u201cHe likes the idea that he will walk out on the stage with a giant presidential wand and end decades of Middle Eastern warfare or prehistorical algae that defies modern chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. O\u2019Brien added: \u201cWhen that doesn\u2019t happen he goes into convoluted and damaging narratives.\u201d<\/p>\n In tackling the Reflecting Pool, Mr. Trump bypassed the normal competitive process and gave no-bid contracts<\/a> directly to two firms. He originally said that resurfacing the pool would cost only $1.8 million<\/a>, though the cost of that work has since ballooned to $14.7 million in taxpayer money<\/a>. A firm tied to a Trump donor was also given a contract to install<\/a> a water-purification system.<\/p>\n Faced with questions about his choices, Mr. Trump is lashing out at critics \u2014 even blaming former President Barack Obama<\/a>, who left office 10 years ago, for not fixing the pool correctly. Americans have also been introduced to words like \u201cnanobubbles<\/a>\u201d and \u201cScenedesmus<\/a>\u201d to understand the latest spectacle in the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n In late June, David Hearn, a former Olympian and cyclist, was arrested after reaching into the pool to touch the peeling liner and charged with destruction of government property. Norman Eisen, his attorney, said that Mr. Hearn was one of the \u201creal people\u201d who had \u201cbeen injured and devastated by this pattern of authoritarian conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCasting blame on others is one of the core characteristics of this administration,\u201d Mr. Eisen said. \u201cNo normal federal law enforcement authority of either party would have ever dreamed of charging an American for touching the Reflecting Pool.\u201d<\/p>\n In response to a question about his case, Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, called Mr. Hearn a \u201cderanged individual suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks to President Trump, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is restored, crystal clear and reflecting beautifully ahead of America\u2019s 250th birthday celebration,\u201d Ms. Rogers said in a statement.<\/p>\n Hoping to see for themselves, visitors have ventured over to the Reflecting Pool in an effort to get close enough to gaze into the water. They have done so under the watchful gaze of the National Guard.<\/p>\n