President Donald Trump criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after she dismissed vandalism charges against U.S. Olympian David Hearn, arguing she backed down because of pressure from the judge overseeing the case.
Trump Blames Judge for Dropped Case
On Monday, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump blamed D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman for Pirro’s decision to drop the case, reported The Hill.
"The judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine, and frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious," the President said.
He added, "Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department. And I guess she choked. I don’t know what the hell happened."
When asked whether he was reconsidering Pirro’s role, Trump declined to answer directly, telling the reporter, "You’re fake news. Don’t ever talk again."
Moments later, he added that Pirro had "folded like an umbrella."
DOJ Blames Installation Problems
On Friday, the Justice Department said a "flawed installation" caused the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s liner to peel, leading prosecutors to dismiss vandalism charges against Hearn.
Pirro and Assistant Attorney Michael Spence said Interior Department records pointed to a rushed and faulty installation by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which they believed caused the damage.
Trump Disputes DOJ Findings
On Saturday, Trump rejected the Justice Department’s conclusion that a flawed installation, rather than vandalism, caused damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
In a Truth Social post, he said he disagreed “100%” with Pirro’s decision to drop charges against Hearn, calling the incident “a pure case of VANDALISM.”
Prosecutors had said Interior Department records pointed to a rushed and flawed installation process and identified contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings as responsible.
Trump acknowledged there “may have been some contractor difficulty” but maintained vandals caused the major damage, citing previously released U.S. Park Police footage.
Burgum Backs Trump’s Claims
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum had disputed the Justice Department’s conclusion, saying vandals had repeatedly damaged the Reflecting Pool and that evidence had been provided to prosecutors.
Republican commentator Scott Jennings criticized the case against Hearn, saying he was "owed an apology" and arguing prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to proceed.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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