What a disgrace! Former Olympian David Hearn arrested at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after Trump sparks fury over alleged vandalism—but what did video footage ACTUALLY REVEAL about his actions?

Former Olympic canoeist David Carter “Davey” Hearn was arrested for destruction of government property at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, hours before President Donald Trump claimed it was vandalized following its recent renovation. Hearn claims he was just touching a piece of detached liner.

United States Park Police officers arrested the 67-year-old — who competed in the canoe slalom in three Summer Olympics — on Friday, June 19, after he stopped to look at the newly renovated Washington, D.C., pool in the midst of a 52-mile bike ride, according to The Washington Post.

Hearn told The Post that after noticing a piece of liner that was partially detached from the pool, which was painted “American Flag Blue” as part of its more than $14 million renovation, he reached into the water to see what the piece felt like — and just moments later, he was being arrested.

While preparing to leave and continue his bike ride, the U.S. Park Police officers arrested and detained the former Olympian on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property, per The Post. Hearn claimed to the newspaper that his detainment at a Park Police facility lasted for nearly five hours, and he was allowed to leave at around 9 p.m. local time.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, pictured on June 18, 2026.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty

On Saturday, June 20, Hearn told The Post that he “didn’t vandalize anything.”

“I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything,” the former Olympian said. “By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”

Emily Miller, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative journalist who has been covering the pool renovation extensively, shared just over two minutes of footage of Hearn’s arrest on X. She claimed in her post that Hearn “grabbed the hose that female National Park Service workers were using to clear the algae.”

David Hearn competing in the Olympic trials in 2000.

Getty

Speaking with The Post on Saturday, Hearn said that he had not touched the cleaning hose as Miller described, but acknowledged that his bicycle may have come in contact with it.

Hearn is scheduled to appear in court next month on July 9, according to The Post.

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The former Olympic canoeist’s arrest came hours before Trump, 80, accused vandals of damaging the newly renovated reflecting pool, among other bold claims, in a Truth Social post.

“We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial,” Trump wrote on the social media platform.

Donald Trump on June 17, 2026.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty

“Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed,” he continued, seemingly referring to the huge “8647” found etched into the grass at the National Mall. (U.S. Park Police previously told PEOPLE in a statement that it responded to a report about the numbers on Thursday morning, June 11.)

Trump continued, “No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work.”

In the Truth Social post, the president went on to call out journalist Jonathan Karl, who showed the “American Flag blue” paint peeling in a TikTok video, and address the water in the pool blooming with bright green algae. Trump also blamed the pool overhaul’s problems on “Radical Left Lunatics.”

In another Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump said the United States Park Police have arrested “multiple people for vandalizing” the reflecting pool.

“Who would do such a thing?” he wrote. “These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.”