President Donald Trump publicly criticized U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro after her office moved to dismiss felony charges against a former Olympian accused of damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Federal prosecutors on Friday filed a motion to dismiss the case against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, citing newly obtained evidence indicating the damage was caused by installation defects rather than criminal vandalism.
According to the filing, information received after the indictment showed the reflecting pool’s liner had been improperly installed by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings and that the project had been rushed to completion ahead of America 250 events surrounding Independence Day 2026.
Prosecutors said the Department of the Interior had not initially provided complete information and stated that the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment had all of the facts been available earlier.
The filing also concluded that the available evidence made it difficult to attribute the widespread damage to vandalism or prove criminal conduct beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, had been indicted earlier this month on one felony count of property destruction.
Prosecutors originally alleged that on June 19, Hearn forcefully pulled up a section of the newly installed liner at the bottom of the reflecting pool, causing more than $1,000 in damage.
Hearn pleaded not guilty and maintained that he merely examined material that was already peeling away while on a bicycle ride before releasing it after a park employee instructed him to stop.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool recently underwent a renovation costing approximately $14 million to $16 million, including installation of a new blue liner. After the project was completed, officials reported issues including peeling material, algae growth and other signs of deterioration.
Trump publicly disagreed with Pirro’s decision in a series of Truth Social posts Saturday, per Trending Politics.
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking?” Trump wrote.
“To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM,” he added, while also referencing other alleged damage in the surrounding area.
In a separate post, Trump shared a video that he said showed criminal activity at the site.
“Look for yourselves at the VANDALISM that took place at The Reflecting Pool. The material is being cut with a knife or a box cutter, for all to see,” the president wrote.
As of Saturday, the court had not yet ruled on the government’s motion to dismiss the indictment.
Hearn’s attorneys have argued the case should never have been brought and said the dismissal does not address the circumstances surrounding his arrest or the decision to file criminal charges.
