Trump Demands Reevaluation of Vandalism Case at Lincoln Memorial

President Donald Trump has urged U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to reconsider the recently dismissed charges related to vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump’s message on Truth Social included shared photos from a freelance photographer that allegedly displayed vandalism.

In his statement, Trump claimed that people observed others at the Reflecting Pool engaged in vandalism. He described scenes where individuals knelt by the water, correlating with the reported damages. These actions, he alleged, had witnesses.

Trump expressed disagreement with Pirro’s decision to drop vandalism charges against David Hearn. Hearn, a former Olympian, faced allegations of felony vandalism after supposedly causing damage to the pool. Trump accused Pirro of bowing to judicial pressure, sacrificing her judgment.

Hearn’s indictment on July 2 stemmed from accusations that he disturbed the pool’s coating. U.S. Park Police reported he persisted despite instructions to halt. Initially, his actions were estimated to have resulted in over $1,000 in damage.

Pirro’s office later cited issues with initial reports from the Department of the Interior (DOI), which failed to disclose installation problems. Additional documents suggested the damage resulted from flawed installation by Atlantic Industrial Coatings and haste for America 250 event preparations.

With new evidence, the DOJ found proving Hearn’s guilt challenging. They sought dismissal of the indictment without prejudice, keeping open the option of reinstating charges.

In response, Hearn’s legal team criticized the government’s approach, stating the charges were unfounded and demanding an apology for what they termed an abuse of authority.