President Donald Trump repeated his longstanding frustration with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, acknowledging there was 'contractor error' involved in the renovation project.
'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,' Trump wrote in a post on social media on Sunday.
Trump repeated his claims that the pool lining was vandalized by bad actors after the renovation became a flashpoint for controversy.
Trump repeated accusations against former Olympian David Hearn after he was arrested for vandalizing the pool, citing a 'highly credible witness' who claimed Hearn was 'violently ripping and tugging' the liner in the pool that bubbled up after it was installed.
Trump expressed disappointment there was no video evidence to convict Hearn and other suspects, but indicated there would be additional security cameras installed in the location to ward off future vandals.
'There was substantial other damage to the Reflecting Pool, also but, unfortunately, there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself,' he wrote, adding that the pool would reopen 'shortly.'
Hearn's lawyers threatened to sue Trump for 'continued harassment' over the Reflecting Pool drama, calling it 'outrageous.'
Trump previously acknowledged he was not 'thrilled' by the job contractors had completed under an accelerated timeline.
Trump stated that the Reflecting Pool will be reopened shortly after repairs are complete
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was partially drained for repairs
'I'm not saying I was 100 percent thrilled with the contractor, but the contractor was rushing. We wanted to get it open for July 4th, and we got it done,' the President told reporters last week.
Last week, Trump was furious after he learned that US Attorney for District of Columbia and former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro dropped charges against Hearn and other individuals who were arrested and charged with vandalism.
'I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last week. 'She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things, and it's a disgrace.'
The court filing released Friday cited new evidence in the case that 'undermines the evidentiary basis for the indictment' and dismissed the case.
The filing revealed that new documents indicated that the damage to the pool 'was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented' by the Interior Department.
President Trump has been personally invested in the renovation of the reflecting pool
Government lawyers acknowledged the damage was likely caused by a botched installation in a 20-page filing released Friday, prompting DC US Attorney and longtime Trump ally Jeanine Pirro (pictured) to drop the charges.
'Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt,' the filing states.
Hearn told the Daily Mail last month his arrest and the subsequent charges were wrong.
'It's a completely unfounded accusation. It's a lie,' Hearn said in an interview over the phone. 'I didn't rip, tear, destruct, destroy, or harm in any way, any part of the reflecting pool.'
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