Trump Reiterates Reflecting Pool Damage Caused by Vandals as Charges Dropped

President Donald Trump and a Cabinet official said Aug. 3 that vandals caused damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, several days after federal prosecutors dropped charges against four people accused of vandalizing the pool.

The material at the bottom of the pool “looked beautiful, and then they cut it, and they vandalized,” Trump said during an unrelated event at the White House in Washington.

Former U.S. Olympian David Hearn was charged in July with property destruction for allegedly tearing the pool’s liner, based on witness statements from Department of Interior employees.

The Department of Justice on July 31 dropped the case against Hearn, 67, citing documents the Department of Interior provided to prosecutors after the charges were brought that indicated the damage was done by a contractor working on the pool.

“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,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said in a court filing.

Trump told reporters on Monday that he was disappointed with Pirro, whom he nominated.

“She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things, and it’s a disgrace,” he said.

There are photographs and videos of people cutting the liner with a box knife, the president said.

“Now I’m not saying I was 100 percent thrilled with the contractor, but the contractor was rushing,” he said. “We wanted to get it open for July 4th and we got it done. But in addition, there was vandalism.”

Trump said he believed Pirro dropped the case because of concerns about how the judge was overseeing it. He declined to say whether he was considering terminating her.

Pirro did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on X on Aug. 1 that “the evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool.” He cited eyewitness testimony, photographs, and video.

Lawyers for Hearn said in a statement that the case dismissal “does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong.”

Cases against three others who allegedly vandalized the pool have also been dismissed, after Pirro recently asked judges to throw out the charges. The reasons for the requests were not listed on court dockets.

The reflecting pool was drained in July so that crews could work to repair damage to the liner. Trump said Monday the pool would be fixed and reopened in the coming weeks.