WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is publicly pressuring U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to reopen prosecutions over alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, days after her office dismissed all four cases tied to the damage.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that newly visible cuts in the pool liner prove “pure VANDALISM” and accused Pirro of making a “hastily made decision.” He cited photographs posted by freelance photographer Andrew Leyden and again claimed the material had been deliberately slashed for hundreds of feet.
Pirro’s office previously dropped a felony case against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn and three misdemeanor cases after the Interior Department provided records indicating that at least some of the damage resulted from a flawed installation rather than vandalism.
That reversal was significant because prosecutors had initially relied on Interior Department representations that vandals caused the damage. Hearn’s lawyers also argued that the government’s own witness could not attribute specific repair costs to his conduct.
Trump has continued insisting vandals were responsible and is now criticizing both Pirro and Hearn’s attorneys while pointing to Hearn’s political activity as part of his argument for renewed prosecution.
Whether prosecutors can or will reopen any of the dismissed cases depends on the specific dismissal orders and available evidence. Trump’s public demand nevertheless puts unusual political pressure on a federal prosecutor who is a longtime ally and appointee.
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