Trump warns vandals 'will go to jail' if they target repaired, nearly refilled Reflecting Pool

President Donald Trump on Monday warned would-be vandals that they would face jail time should they target the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, a monument he has worked to restore.

"We are watching very closely, and security cameras have been installed. Reports are that it’s looking beautiful, and will only get better, subject to NO VANDALISM, with time," Trump posted on Truth Social. 

"Interestingly, the Reflecting Pool has not worked properly since it was built in 1922 — It always leaked! This will be different, but any Vandals that try to prove the point otherwise, will GO TO JAIL!" he also said.

The Reflecting Pool is one of several monuments in the nation's capital to get a facelift under Trump. Others include the equestrian statutes at the end of Arlington Memorial Bridge, and the fountains outside Union Station. The president's restoration of city monuments has become a focal point for his critics, with some instances of alleged vandalism making headlines.

Trump also recalled an alleged instance of vandalism of the Reflecting Pool from earlier in the year and complained that the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office had handled the incident properly.

His restoration of Washington's monuments has prompted a litany of lawsuits, most notably over his efforts to build a ballroom on the White House grounds, renovate the East Potomac Golf Course, and to renovate and rename the Kennedy Center for the Perfoming Arts.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.