President Trump Disagrees With Jeanine Pirro Over Decision To Drop Vandalism Charges Against David Hearn
President Trump publicly broke with his close political ally, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, after her office moved to dismiss felony vandalism charges against former Olympian David Hearn. The administration had previously insisted that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by vandals, but the Justice Department concluded that the damage was actually the result of flawed installation by a contractor. Pirro’s office noted that the Department of the Interior withheld information that would have prevented the unnecessary indictment. President Trump expressed his strong disagreement with the prosecutor, stating on social media that the incident was a pure case of vandalism. He argued that the major damage was caused by vandals, specifically citing the large lettering on the surrounding grass as evidence. While Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended his agency's evidence of vandalism, the administration's decision to drop the case highlights a potential oversight in the initial prosecution, which was driven by the president's political goals.