Former Olympic canoeist David Hahn has denied damaging US President Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C., over pool renovations.
Published July 9, 2026
A former U.S. Olympic athlete has pleaded not guilty to charges of vandalizing the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in a case that has garnered national attention amid accusations that President Donald Trump’s administration is trying to shift blame for problems with the renovation.
Three-time Olympic canoe racer David “Davey” Hahn, 67, gave his arguments Thursday in federal court after prosecutors accused him of “maliciously” damaging the “Stars and Stripes Blue” lining placed at the bottom of a reflecting pool at the request of President Donald Trump ahead of the July 4 250th anniversary celebrations on the National Mall in Washington.
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Federal prosecutors allege Hahn towed the liner on June 19, causing more than $1,000 in damage. He has been charged with destruction of government property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Mr Hearn denied the allegations. He admitted that he stopped at the pool while riding his bike, put his hand into the pool, and touched the lining that was already peeling, but did not remove or damage it. He told The Associated Press that he let go after park officials told him to stop.
Hahn’s lawyers argue that the charges are an attempt by the Trump administration to divert attention from the failed renovation project.
“This indictment reflects the administration’s efforts to shift responsibility for its own failures,” they said in a statement. “The judicial system exists to determine facts, not to provide political cover.”
The 620-meter-long (2,030-foot) reflecting pool reopened in June after President Trump ordered a new liner installed across its base. He said he was forced to undergo a $14.7 million renovation after a friend visiting from Germany said the pool was dark and disgusting.
But within a few days, algae began to spread on the water surface, the water turned chartreuse green, and some of the liner began to peel off.
Experts say a new coat of dark paint on the bottom of a pool can raise temperatures and cause algae to grow, and underwater algae blooms are common at this time of year, especially in shallow, stagnant bodies of water like pools.
President Trump has blamed the problem on vandalism, claiming without evidence that “corrosive and destructive chemicals” were poured into the pool and that vandals “had some type of knife or knife in their hands” and “created long gashes in the beautiful facade,” but no one has been charged with these actions.
The US president has warned that those suspected of damaging the pool could face long prison terms. “Please remember that the destruction or attempted destruction of such objects is punishable by a 10-year prison sentence. This sentence will be carried out in full,” he wrote in Truth Social.
Last week, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia announced charges against Hahn for intentionally causing damage to the liner.
The U.S. Department of the Interior said at least six people have been arrested on suspicion of vandalizing pools in the weeks since they reopened. The National Guard and U.S. Park Police were deployed to protect the site, which was fenced off during the Fourth of July celebrations.
The courtroom was packed for Thursday’s hearing, with dozens of Hahn’s supporters waiting outside after his arguments began.
Problems with the reflecting pool continue, and President Trump acknowledged that it will need to be drained again to repair the damaged liner.
