Former President Donald Trump on Monday criticized US Attorney Jeanine Pirro for dismissing charges against Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Trump stated that Pirro "choked" and "folded like an umbrella" by not pursuing the case.
"The judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine and frankly, I think she choked," Trump told reporters. "The judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked."
Pirro's office submitted a motion to dismiss the charges on Friday. The office cited that the Department of the Interior, led by Secretary Doug Burgum, provided insufficient information at the beginning of the case. However, Trump, who had personally overseen renovations at the Reflecting Pool, focused his criticism on Pirro.
"Pirro made a mistake. There was vandalism," Trump said. "People get away with things, and it's a disgrace."
Hearn was charged with "forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner" of the pool on June 19. He pleaded not guilty, asserting that he left the Reflecting Pool in the same condition he found it. Court documents from July 31 indicate that Hearn did pull at the sealant at the pool's bottom and was instructed to stop by authorities. The filing, however, also placed blame on the contractor for the project.
According to the documents, the pool's lining began to peel shortly after renovations were completed. This issue was attributed to the Virginia-based company's alleged "overspraying and a failure of the coatings to bond" due to a rushed schedule to finish before Independence Day festivities. Trump acknowledged the contractor was rushing the job but maintained that vandalism had occurred.
Trump initially voiced his dissatisfaction with Pirro's decision on Truth Social on Saturday, following the announcement of the dismissal. His criticism continued publicly on Monday.
CNN reported that Trump is reportedly considering removing Pirro from her position as US Attorney for the District of Columbia. Pirro's office did not provide a comment when requested by The Post. Trump declined to answer questions about Pirro's potential removal.