President Donald Trump rejected his own Justice Department’s conclusion on Saturday that a flawed installation, not vandalism, caused the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool lining to peel.
Prosecutors Move to Drop Case
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro… it was a pure case of VANDALISM,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Spence had filed court documents Friday seeking to drop charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of sabotaging the pool.
Installation Flaws Cited in Filing
Prosecutors said Interior Department records showed a “rushed and flawed installation process,” with repeated lining failures. The $14.7 million renovation had drawn criticism after algae blooms tinted the water green and blue lining peeled extensively.
Prosecutors identified contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings as responsible for the botched job.
President Trump wrote in his post on Saturday that “there may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS.” He also shared previously released U.S. Park Police video that he said showed vandals at the site while workers removed algae from the pool. It was not clear from the footage whether the individuals were causing damage or removing lining that had already peeled.
Administration Split on the Record
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, siding with Trump, rejected the DOJ’s finding, writing on X that “vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool,” some of it “caught on camera.” He said Interior had provided prosecutors with expert testimony and “every piece of evidence they asked for.”
The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool. Some of these acts were even caught on camera. We also provided the U.S. Attorney's office expert and eyewitness testimony to the damage done by vandals and provided every piece of evidence they…
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) August 1, 2026
On the other hand, Republican commentator Scott Jennings told CNN that Hearn is “owed an apology,” calling the DOJ’s initial case “terrible.” Jennings said Hearn should consider suing the administration, adding prosecutors “shouldn’t be trying to go to trial” without evidence.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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