• Trump disputes the Justice Department's assessment of the Reflecting Pool damage.
• Federal prosecutors suggest the damage resulted from flawed installation, not vandalism.
• Former Olympian David Hearn's charges are dismissed amid Trump's outcry.

President Donald Trump has openly opposed the Justice Department's findings regarding the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, claiming that the issues stem from vandalism rather than a flawed installation. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump stated, "I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool" and emphasized that the damage is due to vandalism, criticizing the legal decision to dismiss charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of vandalism, according to Reuters.

The controversy erupted after federal prosecutors, led by Pirro, decided to drop charges against Hearn, acknowledging in a court filing that the damage had resulted from a "botched installation," not intentional vandalism. This represents a shift from the previous narrative supporting Trump's accusations that vandals were primarily responsible for the Reflecting Pool's degradation, according to Al Jazeera and Le Monde.

Following the announcement, Trump shared a video claiming to show vandalism at the pool, although it remains unclear whether it substantiates his claims. The newly installed lining on the pool, which underwent a $14.7 million renovation, faced rapid deterioration and algae growth shortly after its completion, which Trump attributed to acts of vandalism despite the assertions of flawed installation practices by contractors, as noted in Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The Justice Department's shift reflects new information outlining that considerable pressure to complete the renovation quickly contributed to the installation errors. Pirro's court documents cited "evidence indicating that the damage was due to a botched installation rather than vandalism," leading her to request the dismissal of charges against Hearn, highlighting how “the rush to complete the project led to hasty and botched work,” according to Le Monde.