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President Trump called out U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Saturday for agreeing to dismiss the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case against former Olympian David Hearn.
The Justice Department moved to drop the case on Friday, finding that the damage to the tidal basin resulted from a “rushed and botched installation,” not alleged vandalism. Trump a day later distanced himself from that decision.
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “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.”
Hearn was indicted earlier this month after prosecutors said he “forcefully and violently” ripped the bottom liner of the pool but pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of destruction of property.
Pirro’s office noted in its filing that the pool’s issues were a result of over spraying and delamination.
“Specifically, the newly released documents reveal that work on installing the lining almost immediately fell behind, due to a combination of very rainy and windy weather, repeated failures of testing on the sealing of the expansion joints, and delays in obtaining sealing product at the worksite,” prosecutors wrote in the filing.
The administration faced heavy scrutiny over the project after the “American flag blue” paint began to peel and an algae bloom formed in the basin. It was drained more than once since the renovation began for repairs.
Trump in his latest post did not dismiss the issues but maintained his argument that Hearn was responsible for some of the damage.
“There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS,” he wrote.
In a separate post, the president shared a video of the alleged incident, stating that the “material is being cut with a knife or a box cutter, for all to see!”
Prosecutors on Friday noted that the section Hearn was accused of tampering with was not in the area where the vandalism likely occurred. It was also reported that a National Park Service engineer raised concerns about peeling days before the ex-Olympian was arrested.
“Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt,” prosecutors wrote.
The Reflecting Pool renovations were part of the president’s efforts to improve Washington D.C. in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.
The final decision on Hearn’s charges will be left to the judge overseeing the case.
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