White House Lashes Out at Jim Acosta After He Debunked Trump’s Pool Vandalism Claims at the Lincoln Memorial
‘Please seek professional help.’
The White House just called former CNN anchor Jim Acosta “one of the dumbest individuals to have ever existed” after he posted a video debunking President Donald Trump’s claims about vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. According to PEOPLE, the official White House Rapid Response account reposted Acosta’s video on X with the scathing insult, telling him to “please seek professional help.”
The exchange escalated after Acosta walked the perimeter of the Reflecting Pool and found no evidence of the 300-foot “slit” Trump described, calling the president’s claims “100% pure bulls—.” Acosta’s video showed large sections of the pool where paint had peeled off the bottom, which he attributed to shoddy renovation work rather than deliberate vandalism.
“You can see whole sections where the paint has just come off of that bottom,” he said. “It is just not there anymore, in part because they did such a shoddy job down here that the paint has literally disintegrated in sections of this reflecting pool.”
Acosta has a history of clashing with the Trump administration
The former CNN correspondent who left the network in January 2025 after declining a move to a late-night show in Los Angeles, has a history of clashing with the Trump administration. He was temporarily banned from the White House in November 2018 after a heated exchange with the president, though a judge later ordered his press badge reinstated.
Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for damaging the Reflecting Pool, even claiming someone poured fertilizer into the water to sabotage the recent multi-million dollar renovation. But the National Park Service has offered a different explanation.
According to the BBC, in a court filing on June 25, Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the park service, stated that a sharp knife or razor was used to cut the pool’s liner, damaging the foam sealant installed during the renovation. The filing also noted that approximately 70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool, though it didn’t specify when the damage occurred or who might be responsible.
The Reflecting Pool, which stretches over 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, has long struggled with leaks, structural issues, and algae growth. Renovations began in April under Trump’s direction, ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The project involved draining the pool and installing a tinted polyurea liner to waterproof the concrete surface.
But almost immediately after refilling, problems emerged
The deep blue paint applied to the bottom began peeling, and an algae bloom spread across the water. Lands said the pool will be drained again after Independence Day celebrations on July 4 to assess and repair the damage.
Five people have been arrested in connection with vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, and five others received federal citations, according to U.S. Park Police. But the extent of the damage – and whether it was deliberate or the result of poor construction – remains disputed.
Trump has insisted the vandalism was intentional, even saying that evidence of the 300-foot gash would be presented in court. So far, no such evidence has been made public, and the National Park Service’s filing doesn’t support the claim of a single, massive slit.
The Reflecting Pool’s troubles aren’t new
Built in the 1920s, the iconic landmark has faced decades of deterioration, from faulty pipes to bird droppings. The recent renovation was meant to address those issues, but the project has been plagued by setbacks.
The algae bloom and peeling paint suggest the work may have fallen short, raising questions about whether the pool was properly prepared before the new liner was installed. Lands’ court filing indicates that the damage to the foam sealant was deliberate, but it doesn’t confirm Trump’s claim of a 300-foot gash or widespread sabotage.
For now, the Reflecting Pool remains a point of contention. The White House’s attack on Acosta reflects the administration’s frustration with critics who challenge its narrative, while the National Park Service’s findings offer a more nuanced view of the damage. With repairs planned after July 4, the pool’s future, and the truth behind its deterioration, will likely stay in the spotlight.
The White House’s response to Acosta’s video is just the latest chapter in a long-running feud between the administration and the press. Acosta’s reputation has made him a polarizing figure, and his latest critique has struck a nerve.
(Featured image: Gage Skidmore)
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