President Donald Trump acknowledged Sunday that there is "no video or proof" of alleged vandalism to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This comes after weeks of claims that damage to the pool's surface was the deliberate work of saboteurs.
Trump stated that security cameras have been, and are being, installed. He also mentioned "contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening." The president said contractors were "working on the Pool, and it will reopen shortly," describing the damaged area as "a very small area of this massive Pool" and "relatively inconsequential."
Despite these acknowledgments, Trump continued to accuse former Olympian David Hearn of intentional vandalism. Prosecutors had moved to drop charges against Hearn after new evidence revealed the section he was alleged to have damaged was already in disrepair when he arrived. Hearn pleaded not guilty to a felony destruction of property charge in July and has maintained he did not damage the pool.
Hearn's lawyers stated Monday that they were "reviewing all legal remedies" for what they described as "continued harassment." Norm Eisen of Democracy Defenders Fund, Mary Dohrmann of Washington Litigation Group, and Steve Levin of Steptoe LLP said in a statement, "The government is continuing to attack an innocent man." They asserted that photographic evidence provided on July 10 proved Hearn caused no damage, and that other filings provided additional proof.
"Finally, the U.S. Attorney's own motion on July 31 admitted the damage was caused by 'a botched installation and not vandalism,'" the statement added, calling the continued allegations "outrageous."
Beginning in June, Trump had insisted that the damage to the Reflecting Pool, which he had ordered resurfaced to be "American flag blue," was purposely destroyed by criminal vandals. In a June 22 exchange with reporters, Trump said, "I can't help it if somebody goes in with a knife and starts hacking it up. And we also have pictures of it." When asked to share the photos, he demurred, stating, "No, at the right time you'll see it. You'll see it in court." This evidence has not been publicly released.
The Justice Department moved to dismiss the case against Hearn in July, acknowledging the damage to the pool "was the result of flawed installation by the contractor." U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's motion sought to dismiss the case without prejudice. Last week, Associate Judge Todd Edelman granted in part the Department of Justice's request, stating he would await further arguments before determining whether to grant the dismissal with prejudice.
Trump had previously criticized Pirro after her office moved to dismiss the case. In a social media post on Aug. 1, he wrote that while there "may have been some contractor difficulty" with the installation of a new pool liner, "the major damage was caused by VANDALS!" He added, "I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro."