President Donald Trump strongly criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s conclusions about the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. While Pirro blamed poor construction, Trump claimed vandals were responsible.
In a recent court filing, Pirro’s office dismissed charges against former Olympian David Hearn, accused of damaging the pool after its renovation for the nation’s 250th celebration last month. Trump acknowledged some issues with the pool’s construction but stood by his claim that vandals caused the major damage.
The Justice Department had supported Trump’s vandalism claims, making the dismissal a setback. Trump still insisted on Saturday, without concrete evidence, that vandals were culpable for most of the damage.
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool,” Trump stated on social media.
Government lawyers, in their documents filed Friday, cited information from the Interior Department since Hearn’s indictment. They identified problems with a contractor’s rushed installation for the America 250 events around Independence Day 2026.
A recent inspection showed widespread pool damage, areas unlikely to be vandalized, countering previous accusations against Hearn of peeling off a section of the pool’s lining.
Pirro, appointed by Trump, acknowledged the newly discovered evidence made it hard to link the pool’s extensive damage to vandalism and to meet the required legal standard for conviction.
Trump shared a nearly four-minute security video showing three individuals near the pool. He claimed it depicted cutting actions by vandals, though the video was inconclusive and workers nearby appeared unaware.
Earlier, Trump initiated a project to beautify the Reflecting Pool, painting the bottom with “American flag blue” after draining it. However, immediately after completion, problems arose with peeling liner parts.
Trump quickly held vandals accountable, with the National Park Service reporting a separate incident involving sharp tools. This Reflecting Pool renovation is among several Trump projects in the capital, including a demolished East Wing for a new ballroom and a planned arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery.
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