A British veterinarian who was charged with misdemeanors for alleged vandalism of the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has criticized President Donald Trump after the charges against her were dropped. Sophie Dennison-Gibby, who had been accused of damaging the pool alongside two others, stated that Trump's characterization of her as a "sick, violent vandal" was "awful".
The Reflecting Pool had begun to show signs of peeling and cracking shortly after its multi-million dollar restoration was completed in June. Following Dennison-Gibby's arrest on June 20, Trump publicly stated that the pool had been deliberately vandalized, claiming that individuals had used a knife to cause damage.
Dennison-Gibby, however, disputed this account, telling The Washington Post that she was merely picking up a piece of litter from the pool when a U.S. marshal arrested her. She was processed and released the same day.
Prosecutors announced on Friday that new information indicated the damage was likely caused by contractor error, not deliberate vandalism. This led to the dropping of charges against Dennison-Gibby on July 31, as well as against Cameron Thiers, who faced a misdemeanor charge, and former Olympian David Hearn, who was charged with a felony for property destruction exceeding $1,000.
Dennison-Gibby, who moved to the U.S. in 2004 and became a naturalized citizen in 2014, described the experience as "heartbreaking" and expressed concern about the public humiliation and its impact on her health, business, and her young daughter.
President Trump, however, publicly disagreed with the decision to drop the charges, expressing his disappointment in D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. In posts on Truth Social, Trump asserted that the incident was "a pure case of VANDALISM," citing damage to the surrounding grass and other elements, and suggesting that major damage was caused by "VANDALS!" He also criticized Pirro, stating she "choked" and "folded like an umbrella."
Sources indicated that Trump was particularly angered by not being informed of the decision to drop the charges in advance. The news was reportedly intended to be a quiet "news dump" on a Friday evening, but became a subject of media focus the following day. Following discussions, including a meeting between Pirro and Trump, a source familiar with the meeting told The Daily Mail that Pirro "took the hit" and that "she's a big girl, she can handle it."