Trump insists vandals damaged Reflecting Pool, blasts DOJ for dropped charge
Federal prosecutors said contractor errors and rushed repairs caused the damage, undercutting the felony case against former Olympian David Hearn.
- President Donald Trump publicly criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after federal prosecutors moved to drop criminal vandalism charges against former Olympian David Hearn.
- Trump doubled down on claims of deliberate destruction on Truth Social, writing that "to me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM" and insisting that "major damage was caused by VANDALS!"
- The president's comments directly contradicted his own Justice Department, which acknowledged in court filings that internal Interior Department records showed the liner peeled due to contractor errors during a rushed installation.
- Trump conceded "there may have been some contractor difficulty", but posted video clips to social media maintaining that individuals intentionally sliced and damaged the pool's new blue lining.
- The public dispute highlights growing internal friction, as DOJ officials acknowledged they could not prove criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt after reviewing the contractor's installation history.
218 Articles
218 Articles
Trump DOJ’s stunning move laid bare agency’s pervasive fear: law experts
President Donald Trump's Justice Department made the rare move of backing off a criminal case last week, with experts telling Bloomberg Law that the administration is attempting to flee in the face of deeper "judicial scrutiny" of its motivations.The DOJ filed a motion on Friday to dismiss the criminal case against former Olympian canoeist David Hearn, whom they have previously accused of vandalizing the lining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting…
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 charg…
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