Former President Donald Trump publicly expressed his strong disagreement with U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, after her office dropped charges in a high-profile Reflecting Pool vandalism case. Trump stated on Truth Social that he "disagree[s] 100%" with Pirro's decision, adding, "I don’t know what she was thinking?"
The case involved David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, who was accused of felony destruction of property for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's lining. Pirro's office, however, moved to dismiss the charges after receiving new information from the Interior Department. This information suggested that the extensive damage, which included sections of the new lining peeling, was due to a flawed installation by the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, and the rushed schedule to complete the $14 million renovation project before the America 250 celebration events around Independence Day 2026.
Despite the Interior Department's new findings, Trump maintained his stance that the damage was primarily caused by "VANDALS!" He also referenced additional damage, including the phrase "86 47" emblazoned on the surrounding grass. The dismissal of charges against Hearn was without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled in the future. The initial renovation project, which involved coating the pool in "American flag blue," was completed on June 9, and just two days later, a National Park Service engineer reported peeling in the lining, raising concerns about the installation quality.
The situation led to significant online scrutiny of Pirro, with some legal experts and political commentators calling for her to be disbarred or to issue a public apology for what they described as a rush to judgment and presenting false evidence. Others noted the embarrassment for Pirro and the Justice Department, given the complete contradiction of earlier assertions made by her office and President Trump.
