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A former Olympic athlete has retaliated following allegations of damaging the paintwork at the Reflecting Pool inWashington DC on Friday.

David Hearn, 62, stated to the Daily Mail that his arrest and the accusations were a mockery designed to support a misleading story, as he posted a picture of the pool’s damaged exterior.

It’s a baseless claim. It’s false,” Hearn stated on the phone. “I didn’t damage, tear, ruin, destroy, or harm any part of the reflecting pool in any way.

Hearn acknowledged he touched a “loose piece of coating,” but stated he did so simply because he was “curious as a concerned citizen.”

President Trump supported the $16 million restoration project as part of his initiative to enhance the appearance of Washington DC in preparation for the country’s 250th anniversary.

However, less than two weeks following the project’s completion, the freshly restored paint job started to chip, and algae growth caused the water to turn green. Trump acknowledged during the weekend that the pool might have to be emptied for necessary repairs.

“They definitely aimed for a news piece they could push, focusing on vandals harming the reflecting pool,” Hearn stated, firmly believing he had done nothing wrong.

“Officers were prepared to arrest me and others they encountered, using fabricated reasons to charge them with vandalism,” Hearn stated.

Hearn mentioned that he had captured an image of the flaking paint just before his arrest and sent the photo to the Daily Mail.

A video capturing Hearn’s arrest depicted the Olympic athlete near the Reflecting Pool with his bicycle before being approached by two National Guard members. The footage then shows him moving towards four police officers and another National Guard soldier.

A fifth officer wearing a white shirt – recognized by Hearn as Lieutenant Stone – is then seen speaking with the Olympian, whose hands were restrained behind him. Hearn stated that Stone “appeared to be the main person responsible for the arrest.”

The White House remained silent on the Daily Mail’s inquiry regarding Hearn’s statements.

On Saturday, Trump shared multiple messages on Truth Social attributing the green water in the reflecting pool and the flaking paint to acts of sabotage.

Trump asserted without proof that individuals had ‘poured harmful and damaging chemicals into the Pool’ and stated that US Park Police ‘arrested several people for damaging our country’s impressive Reflecting Pool.’

The president also stated, “Who would commit such an act? These are grave offenses related to the destruction of National Monuments.” A few hours prior, he shared a post featuring an article regarding Hearn’s arrest.

Hearn stated he never entered the water at all “except for the tips of my fingers,” and that he made contact with the coating for under a minute before being approached by a National Park Service employee and arrested soon after.

We have already listened to numerous falsehoods from this administration,” Hearn stated. “That is simply another deception.

Hearn also surprisingly stated that he was never informed of his Miranda rights upon his arrest.

The athlete mentioned that he was secured with “very tight handcuffs” behind his back prior to being put in a prison cell for five hours.

He mentioned that the cell was “reasonably clean,” but it was a “terrifying” experience because “with the current government, there have been numerous illegal detentions.”

“I was relieved I wasn’t in ICE detention, and I was glad I wasn’t being deported to El Salvador, but there was a lot of uncertainty about when I would be set free,” Hearn said via phone.

The athlete stated that during his five-hour time in jail, he was not permitted to use a phone, was not given any food or drink, and was informed that his detention “was indefinite,” meaning he was not told when he would be set free.

“The jail’s physical conditions were satisfactory, yet mentally challenging,” Hearn said to the Daily Mail.

Hearn stated that, theoretically, he was satisfied with the initiative to restore parks and national monuments in Washington DC, but he highlighted that the projects would be “more favorably received” if they weren’t associated with “a certain amount of corruption.”

He stated that “slush funds” and “no-bid contracts,” like those obtained by the company that repainted the Reflecting Pool, do not reflect “the standard of ethics we anticipate from our leaders.”

The Reflecting Pool was emptied in April and restored in ‘American Flag Blue,’ a shade carefully chosen by Trump.

The president initially stated that the renovation expenses would be approximately $1.8 million, but by late May, the government had agreed to cover $13.1 million for the project.

The final cost soared once more, reaching approximately $16.4 million, an increase of over eight times the original quoted amount.

The pool was refinished and painted by Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a company based in Virginia, which received a $14.7 million no-bid contract with a 20 percent profit margin.

Federal construction project contracts generally provide profit margins ranging from six to twelve percent, as indicated by an analysis conducted by a federal Park Service contracting specialist and reviewed by theNew York Times. 

Greenwater Services from Brookfield, a firm connected to a Trump supporter, was given a $1.7 million contract without competitive bidding to set up a water purification system in the reflecting pool, which has had algae issues since the renovation finished.

Hearn was a skilled canoe racer who participated in the sport professionally from the late 1970s until the early 2000s.

Hearn shared with the Daily Mail that while his experience of being arrested and becoming the focus of a widely reported story has been challenging, he is grateful for ‘the strong support from my community.’

The athlete mentioned that he has been offered free legal assistance by ‘several prominent and well-known law firms in the region.’

Hearn mentioned that he is set to attend court on July 9.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Trump administration, along with Atlantic Industrial Coatings and Greenwater Services of Brookfield, seeking their response.

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