President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that he has not yet determined whether Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, will retain her position. The remarks followed a meeting in the Oval Office where Trump told reporters that Pirro "choked" and "folded like an umbrella" after dropping charges against former Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Pirro met with Trump at the White House on Monday afternoon, reportedly bringing a box of evidence to defend her decision. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the National Park Service, was also present. Sources described the meeting as "contentious," with Pirro allegedly blaming Burgum for misleading the president regarding the evidence.
The president has long asserted that vandals damaged the pool. However, internal National Park Service engineers suggested the damage was caused by an outside contractor who had received a no-bid contract from the Department of the Interior. Pirro cited this information, which emerged after charges were filed, in court documents. She also pointed to internal Park Service communications from June 11, raising concerns about a peeling pool liner more than a week before Hearn's arrest. Pirro had previously dropped similar misdemeanor charges against three other individuals in connection with damage to the pool.
Pirro dismissed the felony indictment against Hearn last Friday, asserting in a 20-page filing that the damage stemmed from a "flawed installation by the contractor" rather than vandalism, a stance contrary to the president's assertions.
Burgum had posted on social media after the charges were dropped, stating that the "evidence is clear" that vandals damaged the Reflecting Pool. During the Oval Office meeting, Pirro reportedly accused Burgum of a series of mistakes he was attempting to conceal.
Sources familiar with the meeting indicated that Trump did not inform Pirro of any intention to dismiss her, nor did she offer her resignation. Trump did convey that he had not yet reached a decision on her job's future. A White House official confirmed that the president was unaware Pirro intended to file court papers dropping the charges in advance. While Pirro had informed some White House personnel of her intent to drop the charges, it remains unclear if the president was aware of the extent to which her office blamed the Department of the Interior.
Late Tuesday, Trump reiterated his belief that Pirro was "totally wrong" about the pool incident and stated he was "not happy" with his appointed U.S. attorney.