特朗普总统周六在社交媒体上批评哥伦比亚特区检察官吉恩·皮罗，后者认为林肯纪念池的损伤源于施工质量不佳而非范德行为。[1]皮罗办公室周五在法庭文件中提议撤销对前奥运选手大卫·赫恩的刑事指控，该选手曾被控在项目翻新后故意破坏水池。[1]
皮罗在提交的20页法庭文件中指出，内政部提供的文件显示林肯纪念池的损伤源于承包商安装不当以及"赶在美国250周年庆典之前完成项目"的时间压力。[1]她在文件中表示："鉴于所有这些新发现的信息，很难将林肯纪念池的广泛损伤归因于范德行为，更不用说确立超越合理怀疑的事实。"[1]
特朗普对此公开表示："我100%不同意特区检察官吉恩·皮罗的看法"，并声称视频显示"材料正在被刀或切割刀割开，众目睽睽之下"。[1]
根据报道，5月份特朗普宣布计划在春季美化林肯纪念池，将水排出并下令将池底涂成他所称的"美国国旗蓝色"。[1]项目完成后数天内，新衬垫的大块出现剥落。[1]
President Trump on Saturday criticized Washington, D.C. Attorney General Jean Pirro's professional evaluation of damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, after her office proposed withdrawing criminal charges against former Olympic athlete David Hern, who had been accused of intentionally vandalizing the pool following its renovation.[1] Pirro's office submitted a 20-page court filing on Friday indicating that damage to the pool resulted from contractor installation failures and pressure to complete the project ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration, rather than vandalism.[1]
Trump publicly disagreed with Pirro's assessment, stating on social media: "I am 100% in disagreement with D.C. Attorney General Jean Pirro's view."[1] He contended that video evidence showed "material being cut with a knife or cutting tool in plain sight,"[1] directly contradicting Pirro's professional conclusion. In her court filing, Pirro stated: "Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the extensive damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to vandal activity, let alone establish facts beyond a reasonable doubt."[1]
The pool renovation began in May when Trump announced plans to restore the Lincoln Memorial landscape during spring maintenance, which involved draining the water and having the bottom painted in what he described as "American flag blue."[1] Within days of project completion, large sections of the new pool liner began peeling away.[1]