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Trump slams DOJ as charges against ex-Olympian in Reflecting Pool case are dropped: 'I disagree 100%'
President Trump publicly opposed the DOJ's dismissal of charges against David Hearn, claiming the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalism.
US President Donald Trump has publicly disagreed with his own Department of Justice (DOJ) after federal prosecutors dropped charges against former Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC.
The case was dismissed on July 31 after prosecutors said newly obtained evidence showed the damage was likely caused by flaws in the pool's renovation rather than vandalism.
Trump, however, rejected that conclusion in a Truth Social post, insisting the damage was intentional.
Trump rejects DOJ's explanation
According to USA Today, the DOJ said a 20-page court filing submitted by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia concluded the damage stemmed from "flawed installation by the contractor... and the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026."
Trump took issue with that finding, writing on Truth Social: "I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro," referring to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia. “I don't know what she was thinking?”
He also shared surveillance footage and maintained the damage was "VANDALISM," alleging the individuals used "a knife or a box cutter" to remove the newly installed lining.
The reflecting pool renovation is part of Trump's "beautification" initiative for the nation's capital. Earlier this year, he celebrated the installation of a new dark blue liner before later blaming "SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!" when reports emerged that the lining was peeling and algae had appeared in the pool.
Why were the charges dropped?
According to The Mirror US, prosecutors said evidence gathered after the initial charges undermined the claim that vandalism caused the damage. A visual inspection found damage in the middle of the pool, an area officials considered unlikely to have been deliberately targeted by a vandal.
Prosecutors wrote that it was "difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt."
Also Read: Trump posts AI video of filling Reflecting Pool with crying person’s ‘tears’
Hearn's attorney welcomed the dismissal, saying, "Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government's approach was ready, fire, aim. The administration owes Mr. Hearn an apology."
Hearn had pleaded not guilty to one felony count of property destruction and was scheduled to stand trial on September 28. If convicted, he could have faced up to 10 years in prison. His legal team argued that the pool had significant pre-existing damage, including leaks and a torn liner, before Hearn allegedly touched it.
