After Trump backlash, Jeanine Pirro makes fresh push to keep WWII Memorial vandal behind bars

WASHINGTON, DC: After Trump lashed out at the US attorney for the Columbia District, Jeanine Pirro, for letting former Olympian David Heard go in the Reflecting Pool vandalism, she has now made an unusual push to ensure that WW II vandal remains behind bars.

Later last week, a woman vandalized the World War II memorial site by spray-painting "Clean hands dirty $" in red and green on the monument on Thursday, August 13.

Attorney's office files 30-page appeal in 3 hours to keep vandal in jail

Within three hours after Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh declined prosecutors' request to delay suspect Melissa Farris' release, the U.S. attorney's office filed a 30-page appeal, asking Chief US District Judge James Boasberg to overturn the ruling.

The long appeal that the Attorney's Office managed to file in three hours calls the alleged vandalism "a brazen attack on one of the Nation's most sacred monuments" and argues Farris poses an "exceptionally high risk of flight."

On Monday, August 17, a magistrate judge in Washington ordered Melissa Farris, 41, released from custody, rejecting prosecutors’ request that she be kept in jail while she awaits trial on two felony charges.  

Trump publicly rebukes Pirro for dropping felony charges in pool case

President Donald Trump publicly blasted Jeanine Pirro after she announced she would drop felony charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian, arguing that the damage was caused by poor maintenance and construction work rather than vandalism.

She said the pool lining was damaged because of the Interior Department's slow disclosure of installation problems tied to the rushed July 4 deadline.

Trump rejected her explanation, stating that Pirro made a clear error in deciding to drop the criminal charges, insisting that the incident was indeed vandalism rather than contractor error.

Trump remarked, "I guess she choked. I don't know what the hell happened," adding that she "folded like an umbrella" in moving to dismiss the case against the former Olympian accused of the damage.

World War II memorial vandalism

The World War II Memorial on the National Mall was vandalized on Thursday, August 13, with bright pink spray paint found at the site and one of its fountains overflowing with bubbles.

The words “Clean Hands Dirty $” were written on the site and foam erupted from fountain as someone added soapy substance in the fountain.

A Department of the Interior spokesperson strongly condemned the incident, saying, “The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated.”

“Our US Park Police are on the scene, and the investigation is ongoing. The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act,” the spokesperson added.

Pirro personally posted twice on X about Farris' arrest, calling the vandalism "a despicable attack" and noting her father and grandfather fought in World War II.