President Trump publicly criticized his own handpicked U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia on Monday, saying Jeanine Pirro made a mistake by dropping vandalism charges tied to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The Justice Department filed a court motion Friday to dismiss charges against 67-year-old former Olympian David Hearn, saying the Interior Department had incorrectly attributed damage in the pool's lining to vandalism. Evidence instead showed that contractor error and a botched installation were to blame, according to the filing reviewed by CBS News.
Trump did not take the news well. "I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro," he told reporters in the Oval Office Monday. "Really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella." He added: "Frankly, I think she choked. ...I guess she choked. I don't know what the hell happened."
Trump had already voiced his displeasure on Truth Social the day before, writing that he disagreed "100%" with Pirro's decision. But Monday's Oval Office comments went further. When a reporter asked if Trump was reconsidering Pirro's role, he snapped at the question. When asked directly whether he would fire her, he ignored it. The White House referred CBS News to the president's Oval Office comments.
Since Friday, Pirro's office also moved to dismiss charges against three more individuals who had been facing misdemeanor charges related to the Reflecting Pool, according to court filings reviewed by CBS News in D.C. Superior Court.
Hearn, who lives in nearby Bethesda, Maryland, said he stopped by the pool on June 19 during a 64-mile bike ride. Authorities arrested him after he reached down to touch the pool. He was accused of ripping a piece of sealant from the pool but denied any wrongdoing. His attorneys said in a statement Friday that the case should never have been brought and that the government owes Hearn an apology.
The dismissal was a reversal for Pirro. When the case against Hearn was first announced, she held a news conference and said: "One of the most offensive images that I hold in my mind are the images of national monuments that are being debased, roped, torn down, graffitied, and damaged by individuals. This unchecked vandalism and civil disorder turns into criminal behavior, and that's why we are here today."
