President Donald Trump refused to let go of his claims about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, launching yet another attack on former Olympian David Hearn. The president’s latest Truth Social post exposed the growing cracks in a vandalism narrative that his own appointee already dismantled.
David Hearn returns to the center of Trump’s dispute over the $14 million Lincoln Memorial renovation
President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on former Olympic canoeist David Hearn in a Truth Social post on Sunday. The president claimed a “credible” National Park Service employee witnessed Hearn “violently” vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump shared this allegation over a week after D.C.’s federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro dropped the vandalism case.
The president posted a screenshot from the investigation highlighting witness testimony. The excerpt described Hearn allegedly kneeling and ripping at the pool’s blue coating with both hands. Trump also referenced “an acid like material” used on newly installed grass nearby. He pointed to the letters “86 47” etched into the National Mall grounds on June 11, 2026. Federal prosecutors have previously suggested the term could indicate a threat to the 47th president.
Trump acknowledged key weaknesses in the case against Hearn during his post. He admitted, “there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself.” He also conceded “there was also some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening.”
Pirro dropped the charges against Hearn on July 31, directly contradicting Trump’s vandalism narrative. She stated that “flawed installation by the contractor” caused the Reflecting Pool damage. She also blamed the Department of the Interior’s “failure to fully and accurately provide information” to prosecutors. Trump responded by saying Pirro “folded like an umbrella” and that he disagreed “100%” with her decision.
Hearn, 67, had pleaded not guilty to a single count of destruction of property. Obama-appointed Judge Todd E. Edelman dismissed the case on Thursday. However, Edelman has not yet ruled on whether the dismissal carries prejudice. Both sides will present arguments at a future hearing to determine whether prosecutors can revive charges. Hearn’s lawyers have said the Trump administration owes him an apology, The Daily Beast reports.
