President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated his claim that former Olympian David Hearn vandalized the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool earlier this summer, a day after criticizing the prosecutor who dismissed the case against Hearn.
In a social media post, Trump stated that a "National Park Service career employee, a highly credible witness," saw Hearn "in broad daylight vandalize the Reflecting Pool by 'violently' ripping and tugging at the Pool’s somewhat delicate coating." He added that the witness provided testimony to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in early July and that there was "substantial other damage" to the pool, though no video evidence exists beyond the damage itself.
Trump also acknowledged that "some contractor error" occurred due to rushing the project for a July 4th opening, but described it as affecting a "very small area" and being "relatively inconsequential."
Hearn, 67, was initially charged with felony destruction of property. However, DC U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dismissed the charge on July 31, citing a lack of information from the Interior Department regarding a "flawed installation by the contractor."
On August 3, Trump publicly criticized Pirro's decision, suggesting she "choked" under pressure from an "extremely unfriendly" judge. He told reporters that the judge went after Pirro and her department instead of pursuing those responsible for the damage.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was recently renovated and was slated to reopen shortly. Security cameras are being installed at the site.