President Donald Trump is standing by his accusation that former Olympic canoeist David Hearn vandalized the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, even as he acknowledged for the first time that mistakes by contractors contributed to some of the problems with the recently renovated landmark.
Trump said a National Park Service employee witnessed Hearn “violently” ripping and tugging at the pool’s newly installed coating. The president described the employee as a highly credible career worker and said the witness provided testimony to federal investigators about what allegedly happened.
Hearn, 67, was arrested June 19 and later indicted on a felony destruction-of-property charge. Prosecutors initially alleged that the former Olympic canoeist deliberately ripped a section of the newly installed blue sealant at the bottom of the pool. Hearn denied intentionally damaging the landmark, saying he merely touched a section of lining that was already loose.
The case took a major turn when U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro moved to dismiss the charge after additional information emerged about problems with the renovation itself. Prosecutors said the Interior Department had failed to initially provide information showing that contractor installation issues contributed to damage at the pool.
Trump has sharply criticized the decision to drop the case, arguing that the contractor problems do not explain all of the damage. He said Sunday that there was “some contractor error” because workers rushed to finish the project ahead of the July 4 celebrations, but characterized that damage as limited to a relatively small and inconsequential portion of the massive pool.
The president maintained that separate damage was caused intentionally. He pointed to the Park Service employee’s account involving Hearn while also claiming there was substantial additional damage to the Reflecting Pool. Trump acknowledged there is no video proving some of those allegations.
The controversy dates back to the pool’s extensive renovation ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. The project cost more than $16 million and included the installation of a new blue coating, but problems emerged shortly after the pool reopened, including peeling sections of the liner and persistent algae.
Hearn has maintained his innocence throughout the dispute. His attorneys have argued that evidence showed the section he touched was already damaged and would have required repairs regardless of his actions. A witness in the case similarly testified that the liner had already sustained damage before the alleged incident.
Trump said work is continuing on the Reflecting Pool and that it will reopen shortly. Security cameras are also being installed around the landmark as the administration works to prevent future damage, while the president continues to insist that contractor mistakes and deliberate vandalism are separate issues behind the problems that plagued the renovation.
The post Trump Doubles Down on Reflecting Pool Vandalism Claim, Acknowledges ‘Some Contractor Error’ appeared first on Real News Now.
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