The internet mocked President Donald Trump on Monday after he threatened anyone who vandalized the reflecting pool with 10 years behind bars.
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Trump unleashed a rant on his Truth Social platform, making several unfounded claims.
“Of the MANY Statues and Fountains that we rebuilt, renovated, cleaned, and fixed, the only one that was Vandalized was the Reflecting Pool, which is being taken care of, ASAP!” Trump wrote.
Media and political commentators were quick to react — and question the hypocrisy.
“Most D.C. juries would immediately blanch at the idea of a 10-year sentence for what would be, in this case, grabbing a piece of the flooring from the Reflecting Pool. The sandwich-guy case proved that jurors notice if a case is over-charged, and respond,” NOTUS D.C. reporter Martin Austermuhle wrote on X.
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“So basically, it’s safer to be on the Epstein list than it is to vandalize the reflecting pool,” Jeff Siegel, investment analyst and frequent progressive political commentator, wrote on X.
“Maga world. Smear s— in the halls of congress? Patriotism. Pick a piece of blue paint out of a pool floating around? Vandalism. Arrested. Face possibly 10 years in prison,” anti-MAGA TikTok influencer Boston Smalls, who has more than 143,000 followers, wrote on X.
“If only storming the Capitol carried such a penalty,” former Louisiana Democratic congressional candidate Robert Jon Anderson wrote on X.
“Trump keeps saying there is a 10 year prison sentence for these crimes — but that is not what even his own DOJ has been seeking in similar cases,” Kyle Cheney, Politico senior legal affairs reporter, wrote on X. He shared reporting about how Trump’s DOJ has previously given a “slap on the wrist” for vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial.
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Trump keeps saying there is a 10 year prison sentence for these crimes — but that is not what even his own DOJ has been seeking in similar cases. https://t.co/cdFQPTwIOZ pic.twitter.com/PbSgGbDqHp
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 22, 2026
