Trump criticizes dropping of charges against athlete accused of damaging Washington pool

Donald Trump publicly rebuked the U.S. Justice Department's decision to drop charges against former Olympian David Hearn, who faced accusations of vandalizing the Washington reflecting pool. Trump expressed his strong disagreement on his Truth Social platform, questioning the prosecutor's judgment and asserting that the incident was a clear case of vandalism.

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I am not in agreement at all with Jeanine Pirro, the federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, regarding the pool. What was she thinking?

"To me, it was a clear case of VANDALISM, which included the lawn – on which a huge '86 47' had been painted in giant letters – and other elements of the surrounding area," Trump wrote. He emphasized that while there might have been issues with contractors, the primary damage was inflicted by vandals.

The Justice Department's decision came after it requested the dismissal of criminal charges against Hearn. The department concluded that the deterioration of the pool was due to a defective installation during renovation work by the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, rather than an act of vandalism. This conclusion was based on new documentation from the Department of the Interior.

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To me, it was a clear case of VANDALISM, which included the lawn – on which a huge '86 47' had been painted in giant letters – and other elements of the surrounding area.

The case had gained significant attention after Trump publicly attributed the damage to vandalism. Hearn, a three-time U.S. Olympic kayaking team member, had been charged with a felony for property destruction. He faced a maximum of ten years in prison if convicted. The court filing noted that the renovation work was expedited to ensure the pool was ready for the United States' 250th independence anniversary celebrations.

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Although there may have been some difficulty with contractors, the main damage was caused by vandals.