Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 4

Trump Allies Retreat on Reflecting Pool Case and $1.8 Billion Fund as Iran War Drags Approval to 33%

Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 4

Trump Allies Retreat on Reflecting Pool Case and $1.8 Billion Fund as Iran War Drags Approval to 33%

Q: If the Reflecting Pool damage was caused by faulty installation, why was a former Olympian charged with a felony in the first place?

He was charged because prosecutors initially believed, based on information from the Department of the Interior and Park Police, that he had intentionally damaged the pool’s new lining and caused more than $1,000 in damage — the threshold for a felony destruction-of-property case. At the time of the indictment, officials said David Hearn was seen pulling up sealant or liner material from the edge of the Reflecting Pool. Trump and other officials publicly described the damage as vandalism, even claiming long cuts had been made in the surface. Hearn denied that, saying he only touched an already peeled section after stopping during a bike ride. What changed is that prosecutors later received additional Interior Department documents showing the pool had serious pre-existing problems tied to the renovation itself. Those records pointed to a rushed installation, repeated lining failures, peeling along the perimeter, weather delays, and broader damage across the pool that was hard to attribute to any one person. Pirro’s filing said prosecutors had not been given that fuller picture before seeking the indictment. In other words, Hearn was charged because the government’s original evidence framed the damage as deliberate vandalism. The case was then dropped because later evidence suggested the visible damage was more likely caused by contractor error and a botched installation, making it difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hearn committed a felony at all.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 4

Jeanine Pirro dropped felony charges against David Hearn over damage near the Washington Monument after a 20-page filing said a botched installation—not vandalism—caused the Reflecting Pool damage.
Todd Blanche also backed down, issuing letters that satisfied Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis after they blocked his attorney general nomination over a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund.
Trump publicly rebuked Pirro for having "folded like an umbrella" but spared Blanche, saying he had not reviewed the sign-off even after previously vowing to keep pushing the fund.
Iran has become the bigger political problem: Trump accused Tehran of lying about talks after saying he had called off a massive attack, extending a pattern of stalled diplomacy and threats.
An Associated Press poll put Trump's approval at 33%, matching or undercutting other recent surveys as the Iran war weighs on him ahead of congressional midterm elections in three months.