Trump attacked David Hearn again over a week after prosecutors dropped his case, citing a ‘highly credible’ witness who saw him vandalize the pool

President Donald Trump renewed his attack on former Olympic canoeist David Hearn. Trump claimed a “credible source” saw Hearn “violently” damage the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool while acting on behalf of a Democratic PAC.

The post came more than a week after Jeanine Pirro, the federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C., dropped the vandalism case against Hearn. Trump made the claim in an “ALERT” posted to his Truth Social platform.

Trump wrote that a National Park Service employee, whom he called a “highly credible witness,” saw Hearn vandalize the pool in broad daylight. He said the employee gave this account to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in early July.

Trump shared a screenshot from the investigation naming the witness only as W-1

Trump included a screenshot of a highlighted passage from the investigation file. The passage stated: “The NPS employee, W-1, stated that the defendant then knelt, placed both hands into the reflecting pool – below the surface of the water – and started to ‘violently’ rip and tug at a large portion of the blue pool coating.”

Trump also claimed that other acts of vandalism took place at the same time, including the use of an “acid like material” on newly installed grass next to the pool. He said the letters “86 47” were written on the grass and suggested the phrase came from former FBI Director James Comey.

In June, a Reuters photographer captured an image of the numbers “8647” traced into the grass on the National Mall, taken from atop the Washington Monument. Federal prosecutors have said in other cases that the term could be read as a threat against Trump, the 47th president.

In his latest post, Trump acknowledged there is “no video or proof, other than the damage itself.” He also said “some contractor error” occurred because the job was rushed to meet a July 4 opening deadline. He added that security cameras were being installed in the area.

Trump has continued to press the issue since Pirro, whom he appointed as the top federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C., dropped the vandalism charges against Hearn on July 31. Pirro said the damage was not the result of “radical” vandals, but was instead caused by “flawed installation by the contractor” hired to renovate the pool. 

The Justice Department’s decision followed an admission that the pool damage traced back to a construction mistake. She also said the Department of the Interior failed to “fully and accurately provide information” to her prosecutors, which contributed to her decision to drop the case.

According to The Daily Beast, Trump told reporters he was “really disappointed” in Pirro over the outcome, saying she “folded like an umbrella.” In an earlier social media post, Trump said he did not know what Pirro was thinking and that he disagreed “100%” with her decision.

In that same post, Trump wrote: “To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass, which had a big 86 47 emblazoned in giant letters on it, and other elements of the surrounding area. There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!”

Hearn, 67, had pleaded not guilty to a single count of destruction of property. His lawyers said in a statement that the Trump administration owes him an apology, though they said it is unlikely he will receive one. 

The Justice Department also moved to drop charges against several other people who had been accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. The dismissal also drew a political response, as Democrats accused the administration of misusing the Justice Department in bringing the case.

Hearn’s case was dismissed on Thursday by Judge Todd E. Edelman, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama. The judge has not yet ruled on whether the dismissal will be with or without prejudice, a decision that will determine whether the Justice Department can bring the charges again in the future. Both sides are expected to present arguments before a final hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

Hearn appeared on CNN on Friday evening and spoke with anchor Kaitlan Collins about his experience as a target of the Trump administration. “If it can happen to me, it could happen to anybody,” he said.