President Donald Trump publicly disagreed with U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Saturday, criticizing her decision to drop criminal charges against a former Olympian accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Trump Rebukes Jeanine Pirro Over Dropped Reflecting Pool Case
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking?” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, adding that it was a pure case of VANDALISM.
The public split followed a 20-page court filing submitted on Friday by Pirro’s office asking a judge to dismiss the felony destruction of property charge against former U.S. Olympian David “Davey” Hearn. Hearn had been indicted on July 2 after being accused of forcefully pulling up and removing the pool’s bottom liner with both hands on June 19. Hearn pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the condition of the pool was the same after he stepped away as it was before he got there.
Contractor Flaws Versus Vandalism Claims
In the Friday court filing, prosecutors stated that documents provided by the Interior Department after Hearn’s indictment revealed that the damage resulted from a flawed installation by the contractor, Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings, and a rush to complete the project before the America 250 celebration around Independence Day 2026. Atlantic Industrial Coatings had been awarded a no-bid contract worth more than $14 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s 68,000-square-foot floor in American flag blue.
Problems emerged within days of the project’s completion on June 9, when chunks of the new liner peeled off and floated to the water’s surface alongside green algae. Pirro stated in her filing that given the 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.
Pirro also asserted that the Interior Department provided less than fulsome information at the outset, noting her office would not have sought a grand jury indictment had DOI been forthcoming.
Administration Divisions and Legal Fallout
The dismissal marked a reversal from last month when Pirro announced the indictment and claimed the case was built on tremendous evidence. It also represents a rare instance during Trump’s second term of a political appointee openly defying the president. The case against Hearn was dismissed without prejudice, meaning charges could be brought again in the future.
Despite the findings from the U.S. Attorney’s office, Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum continued to insist that vandalism occurred. Burgum stated on X that his office provided expert and eyewitness testimony detailing damage done by vandals and that some acts were captured on video. Trump shared surveillance footage on social media showing individuals at the pool, writing, Look for yourselves at the VANDALISM that took place at The Reflecting Pool. The material is being cut with a knife or a box cutter, for all to see!
Steven Levin, an attorney for Hearn, argued that the prosecution should never have been brought and stated that the federal government owes his client an apology.
