Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump claimed, without evidence, that “vandals” took a knife and slashed the paint on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.
“We have 100, and we have a, I think, 290, 300-foot slit right through it, probably a box cutter or a knife of some kind. We had people lifting up the basic, some of the [base]. It’s not a lot of damage, but we’ll probably have to let the water out and re-fix it,” Trump said. “They went in there with a knife. I was just told by the, by the people over at parks (National Park Service), they have five people are arrested and five people are under investigation right now, and it’s a sad thing.”
However, based on a side-by-side video comparison posted by The Bulwark on Monday, it’s clear Trump didn’t think his explanation through.
“This will last for at least 50 years, you’ll never have a leak. It’s very strong,” Trump said on May 4, talking about the renovations. “You couldn’t, if you had a knife. I don’t want to give anybody ideas. If you had a knife, you can’t even cut it. So strong, so powerful. It’s like powerful rubber.”
Watch the full side-by-side comparison from The Bulwark here: