Donald Trump lashed out at Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News host serving as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, after she moved to dismiss a felony indictment of the alleged vandal of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said that he “was disappointed in Jeanine Pirro. Really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things, and it is a disgrace.”
On Friday, Pirro submitted a court filing moving to dismiss the indictment against David Hearn, a former Olympian who was charged earlier in the month for vandalizing the reflecting pool. The pool has been one of Trump’s pet projects in D.C. But soon after a contractor completed work on a protective blue liner, and the pool was refilled, there were reports of coating floating at the surface. In her filing, Pirro wrote that after Hearn’s indictment on July 2, the Department of the Interior provided additional information that the damage was “the result of a botched installation and not vandalism.” The filing pointed to the rush to complete the work by the time of America 250 celebrations.
“Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment,” the filing stated.
Trump continued to insist that the problems with the pool are the fault of vandalism. But he acknowledged that “we weren’t necessarily thrilled with the contractor, but they did a job, and they were fixing any problems.” He also said that in video footage, it is difficult to discern who individuals are as they reach down into the pool and perhaps pull something out. Trump claimed that the video was proof that the pool was cut, but the footage hardly offers that explicit evidence. FactCheck.org posted in June, “The White House has not provided evidence of people causing long gashes or a series of gashes.”
Trump also claimed the D.C. Superior Court judge in the case was “extremely unfriendly” to Pirro. “Frankly, I think she choked,” Trump told reporters, referring to Pirro.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum also has continued to insist that the damage was caused by vandals.
CNN reported on Monday that Trump was considering removing Pirro. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
Attorney Norm Eisen, representing Hearn, posted on X on Monday, “We’re considering all options to deal with this miscarriage of justice, because a president who can’t let a case go is a president who might try to bring it back.”
