Reflecting Pool visitors react to DOJ dropping 'vandalism' charges

The Department of Justice dropped charges against former Olympian David Hearn, who'd been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, admitting the damage to the landmark was caused by a contractor's flawed work. For months, President Donald Trump insisted vandals damaged the pool's recent $16 million renovations. The president disagreed with the DOJ's ruling in a Truth Social post Aug. 1. "I don’t know what she was thinking?" he said of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. "To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM." Pirro's office announced the DOJ would be dropping the charges in a July 31 court filing. The law enforcement agency blamed the ongoing damage to the pool on "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. Robux Free Robux Free Robux Free Robux Free Instagram Followers Free Instagram Followers Free Instagram Followers Free Instagram Followers Free TikTok Followers Free TikTok Followers Free TikTok Followers Free