Additional Coverage:
- Fox News’ Jesse Watters airs footage of alleged vandal who ‘slashed’ Reflecting Pool (irishstar.com)
Fox News host Jesse Watters stirred controversy on Thursday by airing footage he said was provided by the Department of the Interior, showing individuals suspected of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This move intensified claims that the historic site had been vandalized.
The segment came after Watters had earlier echoed unverified assertions on Fox News’ The Five, suggesting that Democrats were behind the damage. Co-host Jessica Tarlov quickly challenged his claims during the broadcast.
Watters stated, “The Democrats have been ripping up the Reflecting Pool,” but Tarlov interrupted him, urging him to stop. Despite this, Watters pressed on, insisting there was “hard evidence” from reports by The New York Times and Park Police. He described incidents involving a man with a pitchfork and other acts of damage, including “171-foot razor slashes” to the pool’s foam lining.
However, the New York Times report Watters referenced did not confirm any political affiliation or motive behind the damage. Park Service documents noted cuts to foam sections but did not identify the cause.
A U.S. Park Police report from June 9 mentioned “razor blade slashes” along a 20-foot stretch of foam but did not specify how the damage occurred.
Later that evening, on his prime-time show, Watters aired additional footage purportedly showing two individuals interacting suspiciously with the pool on June 19. He described a man in a blue shirt and a woman with a white tote bag reaching into the pool, though he acknowledged that no arrests had been made and the police report was not yet available. Watters questioned whether the individuals were damaging the lining, noting that they might claim to have been retrieving lost items.
Watters also read a statement attributed to the Interior Department, which said the video showed “two suspects observed destroying and removing a piece of the lining” and confirmed that such acts are federal crimes. The incident is reportedly under investigation.
This latest coverage adds to the ongoing debate over the condition of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the political narratives surrounding it.