Former President Donald Trump has publicly stated his dissatisfaction with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's decision to dismiss charges against former Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump insists the damage was a result of vandalism, not a failed renovation project.
Pirro's office concluded that a federal investigation found the damage was likely due to a botched $16 million restoration project. However, Trump has shared photographs on Truth Social, claiming they show graffiti and cuts on the pool's side, which he attributes to vandalism. He stated that witnesses saw the damage and that the material was cut.
"The material was cut right where the video tape showed, for 300 feet or more. People were on their knees with their hands in the water at the exact location of the ‘slashes,'" Trump claimed on Truth Social. He also asserted that "there were witnesses to the VANDALISM, and the flexible areas of the material were cut with a knife. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro should re-visit her hastily made decision."
Trump, who appointed Pirro as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, expressed his disappointment, suggesting she "choked" and "folded like an umbrella" by dismissing the charges. When asked by reporters if Pirro's job was safe, he replied, "I haven't made a determination. I told her I was not happy."
The dismissal filing noted that new documents indicated the damage "was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented" by the Interior Department. The filing stated it was "difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt."
Hearn, who pleaded not guilty to one felony count of property destruction, had a trial scheduled to begin September 28 before the case was dismissed. He faced a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted. Hearn and his attorney, Norm Eisen, have maintained that the charges were politically motivated.
Trump also criticized Eisen, calling him a "Trump deranged sleazebag" and a "political hack lawyer." Eisen, who served in the Obama administration as an ambassador to the Czech Republic, co-founds Democracy Defenders Action and has been critical of Trump. Eisen stated on X that "A case gets brought because someone powerful wanted it brought, & it falls apart the moment a court looks at it."
Hearn told CNN that the case against him was "surreal and absurd" and warned that others could be targeted by the federal government.