U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated Sunday that he and President Donald Trump support U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, even as the administration grapples with the dismissal of a vandalism case involving the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal prosecutors moved on July 31 to drop the charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of damaging the $14 million project. The dismissal came after evidence suggested the damage may have resulted from faulty renovation work rather than vandalism.

Despite the case's dismissal, Blanche acknowledged that President Trump is "extraordinarily frustrated" with the situation. "I absolutely support U.S. Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump," Blanche said on NBC’s "Meet the Press." He added, "That’s different than whether the president is extraordinarily frustrated at what happened in that case. And I don’t in any way fault him for that."

Blanche clarified that court filings did not definitively conclude that all damage was due to construction flaws. He noted the existence of a witness who claimed to have observed Hearn vandalizing the pool, but acknowledged that witness testimony alone might not be sufficient for a conviction. Hearn has maintained his innocence.

Blanche defended Pirro's overall performance, calling her work as U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. "phenomenal" in prosecuting vandalism cases related to memorials and monuments. He pointed to a separate case last Thursday where Pirro's office pursued charges against a suspect accused of spray-painting a veterans memorial and pouring bubble soap into its fountain. "U.S. Attorney Pirro is doing a phenomenal job enforcing that, going after anybody who’s doing it. And I think judging her on a single case because of the evidence that we had is not fair," Blanche stated.

Regarding a White House request for the Justice Department to explore re-prosecuting Hearn on misdemeanor charges, Blanche indicated that such requests would be considered. "Will I take the President of the United States’s view on something into consideration? Yes, of course," he said. "That’s certainly something that I listen to."

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The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which underwent a $14 million renovation, was found to have cracks, algae growth, and peeling sealant. The investigation into the damage and the subsequent dismissal of charges against Hearn have drawn attention from the White House.