Trump and Burgum Criticize Pirro Over Reflecting Pool Damage Case Dismissal

President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have expressed their disagreement with U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro's motion to dismiss the case regarding damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This dismissal follows an assessment by the Department of the Interior (DOI) that indicated the damage was due to a flawed installation by government contractors, contradicting previous claims of vandalism made by Trump and other officials. Trump stated on Truth Social that he questioned Pirro's decision, asserting that while contractor issues may have contributed, the primary damage was caused by vandals. He also shared an image of a sequence of numbers left on the National Mall, which the White House interpreted as a threat against him. Burgum criticized Pirro for not prosecuting individuals accused of vandalism, asserting that his department had provided sufficient evidence to support claims of vandalism. He emphasized that some of the vandalism was captured on camera. Trump had previously ordered changes to the Reflecting Pool, which incurred nearly $15 million in costs, and subsequent issues such as algae blooms and blue material surfacing were reported.