Trump walks back on Reflecting Pool vandalism claim citing ‘no video or proof.’ He admits ‘some contractor error’ due to ‘rushing the job’

President Trump stated on Sunday that there was some contractor error regarding the recent renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, The Hill reported. While he acknowledged these construction issues, he simultaneously maintained his accusations against a former Olympian canoeist for vandalizing the landmark, even though criminal charges against the athlete have been dropped.

The President addressed the situation in a post on Truth Social. He wrote, “There was substantial damage to the Reflecting Pool, also but, unfortunately, there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself.” He further noted that the site is currently undergoing repairs and will reopen soon. Regarding the construction quality, he admitted, “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.”

The office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro previously cited contractor overspraying and delamination as the primary causes for the issues. Prosecutors noted that the rush to finish the project led to botched work that was not properly fixed before the construction fencing was taken down. Pieces of blue paint, meant to match the American flag, had been seen floating on the surface of the water, alongside green algae blooms.

It is interesting to see the administration pivot toward blaming the contractor after earlier claims focused heavily on vandalism

Despite the prosecutor’s findings, the President continues to insist that a National Park Service employee witnessed the damage being caused by a person. He described this witness as a career employee and a highly credible witness who allegedly saw Olympian David Hearn in broad daylight vandalize the Reflecting Pool by “violently” ripping and tugging at the pool’s somewhat delicate coating. The President stated that this testimony was provided to Pirro.

The legal status of the case remains in flux. D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman formally dropped the charges against Hearn, though he will decide at a later time if prosecutors can pursue charges against him again in the future.

The President has been very vocal about his frustration with this outcome, having accused Pirro last week of having “choked” regarding the decision. He is actively pushing for the Justice Department to revisit what he called her hastily made decision to drop the charges against those accused of damaging the site.

This latest post on Truth Social arrived just one day after the President shared photos of what he labeled as vandalism. These images showed graffiti and peeling sections of the pool coating. To prevent future incidents, the President concluded his Sunday post by confirming that security cameras have been and are being installed at the monument.