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President Trump said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro “choked” in her decision to drop charges against U.S. Olympian David Hearn in the Reflecting Pool vandalism case, casting blame on the judge overseeing the case.
“The judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine, and frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after and went after her department,” he continued. “And I guess she choked. I don’t know what the hell happened.”
Trump did not answer directly when asked by a reporter if he was reconsidering her role, saying “you’re fake news. Don’t ever talk again.”
Trump exclaimed minutes later that Pirro “folded like an umbrella.”
Trump appeared to be referring to D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman in his comments. The judge, who is now handling the case, said last month the government would be “operating at its own peril” if it continued repair work on the Reflecting Pool before the defense’s expert could sample it.
Hearn was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., last month on charges of felony destruction of property and faced 10 years in prison. Pirro alleged Hearn “ripped a piece of recently installed sealant on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial.”
However, on Friday, Pirro announced the charges would be dropped, instead blaming contractors in charge of the Reflecting Pool installation. Pirro said “over spraying and delamination” caused the damage.
The move was met with swift backlash from Trump, who wrote in a Truth Social post that he disagreed with her “100 [percent].”
“I don’t know what she was thinking? To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass, which had a big 86 47 emblazoned in giant letters on it, and other elements of the surrounding area,” the president said.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum also pushed back on the ruling, arguing that vandals “repeatedly” damaged the Reflecting Pool.
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Administration Live updates: Trump rips into Pirro over Reflecting Pool case; Cornyn backs Blanche’s confirmation by The Hill staff 1 hour ago Administration / 1 hour ago 
