- Prosecutors said the lining work fell behind because of rainy and windy weather, repeated failures in sealing tests, and delays in obtaining sealing product.
- Prosecutors added that the rush led to 'hasty and botched work' that was not remediated before the fencing was removed.
- Trump said he disagreed 100% with Pirro's decision to drop the case and called it 'a pure case of VANDALISM.'
- Kennedy called Pirro 'smart' to dismiss the case, described it as a 'multiple vehicle pileup,' and said federal judges would not tolerate a suit filed without a full investigation.
- On NBC News, Sen. Kennedy (R-La.) said he does not know whether Trump truly believes his Reflecting Pool claims, or whether it is political messaging or 'thinking out loud.'
- Kennedy described Trump as someone who 'exists loudly' and 'grows anxious when he has an unexpressed thought.'
The Justice Department has officially dropped its criminal case against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool. The decision comes after investigations revealed that the damage was primarily due to a botched installation by Atlantic Industrial Coatings, rather than vandalism as initially suggested by Trump.7
In a statement, the DOJ noted that the installation fell behind schedule due to adverse weather conditions and failures in testing the sealing of expansion joints. Prosecutors criticized the Interior Department for providing a barebones report on the incident, which contributed to the decision to drop the case.
Trump expressed his disagreement with the decision, stating, “To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM”, while acknowledging some contractor difficulties. However, Senator John Kennedy defended the dismissal, calling it a “smart” move and criticizing the initial filing as a “multiple vehicle pileup” that lacked thorough investigation. He emphasized that “federal judges will not tolerate” such cases without proper evidence.
Kennedy remarked on Trump's behavior, saying, “He grows anxious when he has an unexpressed thought”, highlighting the complexities of political messaging surrounding the case.
“Trump said he disagreed '100%' with Pirro's decision to drop the case, calling the damage 'a pure case of VANDALISM.' Kennedy, in turn, called Pirro 'smart' to dismiss the suit, describing it as a 'multiple vehicle pileup' and noting federal judges would not tolerate a case filed without a full investigation.”
