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President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after her office dropped charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The decision, announced in a court filing on Friday, concluded that damage to the newly renovated pool was the result of a botched installation, not vandalism—a finding Trump has rejected.

In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump wrote that he disagrees "100%" with Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, saying, "I don’t know what she was thinking? To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM." He later told NBC News, "She said there was no vandalism. There was tremendous vandalism. So, she made a terrible mistake. I don’t understand why she did such a stupid thing."

Coverage Comparison

Coverage of the story has focused on the tension between Trump and Pirro, a former Fox News host and longtime ally whom he handpicked for the role. The Guardian reported that Pirro moved to dismiss vandalism charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian, and three others. Her office's 20-page filing stated that the damage to the concrete-bottomed attraction was the result of a "botched" renovation—"not vandalism."

The South China Morning Post highlighted Trump's disagreement with the Justice Department's findings, noting his characterization of the case as a "pure case of VANDALISM." The outlet also reported that Trump accused Pirro of not knowing what she was thinking.

BBC News framed the episode within a broader series of setbacks for Trump, including the war with Iran and the Senate's blocking of Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general. The BBC described the president's response as a familiar pattern of sticking to beliefs even in the face of contrary evidence.

Key Claims

  • Trump criticized Pirro for dropping the vandalism charges against David Hearn, according to multiple sources.
  • Pirro attributed the damage to the reflecting pool to a botched installation, not vandalism, as reported by The Guardian and the South China Morning Post.
  • Trump claimed there was "tremendous vandalism" at the pool, a claim that conflicts with the Justice Department's findings, as reported by The Guardian.
  • The justice department dismissed the case against Hearn, a former Olympian, according to multiple sources.
  • Hearn's lawyers said the case should never have been brought and demanded an apology, as reported by The Guardian.
The case stems from the $14.7 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which quickly developed algae blooms and peeling lining. Federal prosecutors said in their filing that documents from the Department of the Interior indicated "a rushed and flawed installation process, with repeated failures of the lining during the installation process, and extensive peeling of the lining throughout the Reflecting Pool."

In a statement, Hearn's lawyers argued that the charges were baseless and that he should never have been prosecuted. Hearn, 67, had faced a felony property destruction charge carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Pirro has attributed her decision to prosecute Hearn to misleading information provided by the Department of the Interior. According to the New York Times, Pirro accused Interior Secretary Doug Burgum of misleading the president about the renovation, which was performed by a vendor awarded a no-bid contract.