Trump Reiterates Vandalism Claim Despite Dropped Case

President Donald Trump continued to challenge the Justice Department's decision to drop a vandalism case related to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, while simultaneously acknowledging that some damage resulted from contractor error. In a social media post on Sunday, August 9, 2026, Trump alleged that a "highly credible witness" from the National Park Service had seen former Olympian David Hearn damaging the pool, even as he admitted there was no video or other proof of the alleged vandalism beyond the damage itself.

The case against Hearn, who was charged with felony destruction of property in July, was dismissed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office on July 31. Prosecutors cited insufficient evidence and stated that the damage appeared to stem from a flawed installation by the contractor during a rushed renovation for a July 4 opening. In a court filing, the government acknowledged that the section Hearn was accused of damaging was already in disrepair when he arrived.

Despite the dismissal, Trump has maintained that the damage was deliberate. In his Sunday post, he claimed a National Park Service employee witnessed Hearn "violently ripping and tugging at the pools...