For several months, the Trump Administration has been trying to prosecute the man whom they claim is responsible for vandalizing the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial.
Now, they’ve been dealt another blow in court in those efforts.
According to Newsweek, Judge Todd Edelman has fully dismissed the case against David Hearn, a former Olympian. The court found that, contrary to the president’s claims, the damage to the pool was not caused by vandalism but by flawed design. The charges cannot be refiled.
Trump on the reflecting pool: “If you had a knife, you can’t even cut it.”
Also, Trump on the reflecting pool: “They cut it.” pic.twitter.com/uHfd69GKUa
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) June 22, 2026
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“Within a month, the government recognized that its prosecution lacked merit,” the dismissal said. “It reached this conclusion not because it had misidentified Mr. Hearn as the perpetrator of the alleged act, but because no crime had occurred.”
Trump has claimed various times that the bad condition of the pool was due to vandalism, but that doesn’t appear to be what really happened.
The case has been dismissed with prejudice, the judge said, “because the government’s legitimate interest in maintaining the possibility of a future prosecution seems so marginal, and because of the extraordinary possibility that Mr. Hearn will nonetheless face a meritless, politically motivated prosecution.”
BREAKING: A D.C. judge permanently dismisses a case charging an ex-Olympian with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. https://t.co/FGAKfTGurX
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 1, 2026
Hearn, the defendant, also issued a statement through his attorney.
“This case never should have been brought in the first place,” Hearn’s attorneys said. “This was a miscarriage of justice, and what happened to Mr. Hearn is an outrage that should shock every American. This administration chose to pursue an unjust prosecution against Mr. Hearn. It should not get repeated chances to wield the power of criminal prosecution against someone who should never have been prosecuted. Today’s decision protects Mr. Hearn from that threat, allowing him to move forward with his life as he deserves.”
