Photo: KENT NISHIMURA / AFP / Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Saturday (August 1) sharply criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for moving to drop felony charges against former Olympian David Hearn related to damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. President Trump insisted the incident was "a pure case of VANDALISM," directly disputing federal findings that blamed contractor failures, not deliberate destruction, for the damage.
According to a new court filing by Pirro's office, the Department of Justice cited new documents from the Interior Department showing that the Reflecting Pool's damaged liner resulted from "botched installation" and a rushed renovation to meet deadlines for the America 250 celebration in early July 2026. The filing said that widespread damage—visible throughout the pool, including in areas unlikely to be targeted by vandals—could not be clearly tied to criminal acts. Pirro noted in her filing, "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."
Despite this, President Trump continued to argue the damage was intentional, writing on social media, "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?" He also posted a video that he said showed people cutting the pool liner, though it was unclear from the footage whether vandalism was occurring, as workers were present and appeared unconcerned. Trump acknowledged there "may have been some contractor difficulty," but maintained that "the major damage was caused by VANDALS!"
The DOJ's abrupt decision to drop the charges marks a rare public break between President Trump and Pirro, one of his prominent appointees. It also follows criticism of the project’s management, with costs rising to nearly $16 million and the work rushed to completion for the country's semiquincentennial celebration. The filing faulted the Interior Department for not initially providing all relevant information about the renovation problems.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum pushed back on Pirro's criticism, saying on X that the department had supplied video evidence, expert testimony, and detailed timelines showing vandalism.
Hearn’s legal team welcomed the dropped charges and said they are considering legal remedies, stating, "Trump is mad at Pirro because she finally admitted what we made clear in our legal filings all along: Trump's botched renovation was responsible for the damage — not Davey Hearn."
The Reflecting Pool remains closed as officials continue to assess the extent of the repairs needed. The high-profile dispute has also drawn attention to other Trump-led renovation projects in Washington, including a new White House ballroom and proposed National Mall arch.