Trump Exploits Park Employee Testimony to Fuel Culture War Over Reflecting Pool Incident
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President Donald Trump amplifies a court document accusing former Olympian David Hearn of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, while prosecutors move to dismiss the politically charged indictment.
President Donald Trump, never missing a chance to stoke division, posted a screenshot of court filings on his social platform, spotlighting testimony from a National Park Service employee who claimed former Olympian David Hearn 'violently' damaged the Reflecting Pool’s coating. The employee, labeled W-1, alleged that Hearn filmed the area on his phone before reaching into the water and pulling at the blue coating, even after being told to stop. Instead of de-escalating, another park worker was told to call the police, and National Guard soldiers were summoned—an excessive response to a minor incident.
Trump seized on this account to insist the damage was deliberate, emphasizing that the witness statement was given to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in early July. He further attempted to sensationalize the situation by mentioning supposed use of an 'acid-like material' on nearby grass, though he admitted that much of the pool’s issues were the fault of contractors rushing renovations—a detail that undermines his narrative.
The indictment against Hearn, filed July 2, charged him with felony destruction of property, based on park police claims that he kept pulling at the coating after warnings. But prosecutors later moved to dismiss the case, citing evidence that the real culprit was shoddy work by Atlantic Industrial Coatings and a rushed timeline, making it impossible to pin the blame solely on Hearn.
Trump has repeatedly attacked U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for dropping the charge, accusing her of caving to pressure. Meanwhile, Hearn’s attorneys have rightly pointed out that the indictment was baseless and their client did nothing wrong. The White House, prioritizing optics over substance, announced new security cameras and promised the pool would reopen soon.