Trump shares witness account in Reflecting Pool vandalism case, concedes contractor errors occurred

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) doubled down on allegations of vandalism surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, pointing to a new witness statement from a National Park Service employee while acknowledging for the first time that contractor errors contributed to the site’s structural issues.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump cited testimony provided to the US Attorney’s Office in early July, alleging that a long-serving National Park Service employee witnessed former Olympic athlete David Hearn “violently” ripping and tugging at the pool’s newly installed blue coating. Trump linked Hearn to the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue and reiterated claims that deliberate sabotage damaged the landmark.

“ALERT: A National Park Service career employee, a highly credible witness, saw David Hearn (ActBlue) in broad daylight vandalize the Reflecting Pool by ‘violently’ ripping and tugging at the Pool’s somewhat delicate coating,” Trump wrote, adding that the employee submitted testimony detailing the encounter.

ALERT: A National Park Service career employee, a highly credible witness, saw David Hearn (ActBlue) in broad daylight vandalize the Reflecting Pool by “violently” ripping and tugging at the Pool’s somewhat delicate coating. The National Park Service employee provided this… pic.twitter.com/ZRJkN7QDTT

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 9, 2026

Trump also referenced related incidents on the surrounding grounds, alleging that an “acid-like material” was used to etch the numbers “86 47,” a phrase he suggested originated from former FBI Director James Comey, into freshly installed grass adjoining the basin.

According to the court document shared by Trump, two National Park Service (NPS) employees, identified as W-1 and W-2, were cleaning the pool’s interior when Hearn approached and took photos or video of existing damage with his cell phone.

The document stated that employee W-1 observed Hearn kneel and place both hands underwater before he started to “violently” rip and tug at a large section of the blue pool coating. When asked to stop, Hearn reportedly told the employee that NPS personnel were “awfully sensitive about the pool” and continued pulling at the lining until National Guard soldiers arrived on the scene.

While maintaining that additional damage had occurred at the site, Trump further acknowledged the absence of direct video evidence. Notably, Trump also conceded that installation flaws played a role in the pool’s ongoing problems, pointing to a rushed schedule ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

“As with many jobs, there was also some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening, but it was a very small area of this massive Pool, and was relatively inconsequential,” Trump posted, announcing that security cameras have been added and that the Reflecting Pool is slated to reopen shortly.

President Donald Trump’s recent statements come days after he urged US Attorney Jeanine Pirro to revisit the case when prosecutors dropped the charge against David Hearn, according to a report by Fox News.

The former Olympian was indicted July 2 on one count of felony destruction of property after US Park Police alleged he grabbed and pulled at a loose portion of the pool coating on June 19, continuing after an employee with the National Park Service told him to stop. Authorities initially estimated the damage surpassed $1,000.

Pirro’s office later stated that prosecutors had only received “barebones” reports from the Department of the Interior prior to seeking the indictment, noting they were not provided initial documentation regarding widespread problems with the installation of the pool coating, according to Fox News.

According to prosecutors, records handed over after the indictment revealed that a portion of the Reflecting Pool damage stemmed from a flawed installation by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings amid a rush to complete work ahead of America 250 celebration events.

Given the newly disclosed evidence, the government acknowledged it faced difficulty proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Hearn caused the damage detailed in the indictment. Prosecutors requested that the case be dismissed without prejudice, leaving open the option to bring charges again in the future, Fox News reported. (ANI)