Trump leaves Pirro's future hanging after saying he was 'not happy' with Reflecting Pool decision

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: President Donald Trump on Tuesday, August 4, said he still "hasn't made a decision" on whether Jeanine Pirro will remain US Attorney for the District of Columbia after publicly criticizing her office's decision to dismiss felony charges against former Olympian David Hearn in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump reiterated his belief that the damage to the Reflecting Pool resulted from vandalism rather than faulty construction.

His comments came days after the Justice Department dropped its case against Hearn, citing newly disclosed evidence from the Department of the Interior that prosecutors said undermined the government's accusations.

Trump questions Jeanine Pirro over dismissed vandalism case

When questioned about Pirro's handling of the case, Trump firmly rejected the Justice Department's conclusion that the damage stemmed from construction flaws, calling Pirro's judgment inaccurate.

"Well, I just think she was totally wrong," Trump said. "They did a beautiful job. There were a couple of little things, but that was not a big deal. And everybody saw the vandalism."

The president maintained that there was ample evidence supporting the original vandalism accusations. "All you have to do is look at the tapes. If you look at the tape, plus we have a witness or two witnesses that saw the vandalism. So certainly, there was vandalism.”

Trump added that he had personally conveyed his dissatisfaction to Pirro, stating, "and I told her I was not happy."

However, when a reporter asked whether Pirro would remain in her position as the top federal prosecutor in Washington, Trump stopped short of offering his support. After a brief pause, he said, "I haven't made a decision."

The comments followed Trump's criticism a day earlier, when he said Pirro had "choked" in handling the case after prosecutors moved to dismiss the charges.

Jeanine Pirro meets Trump after David Hearn case dismissal

Trump's comments came after Pirro reportedly met with the president at the White House on Monday, August 3, carrying a large box of documents that prosecutors say support the decision to dismiss the case against Hearn.

According to reports, Pirro presented evidence obtained from the Department of the Interior that she argued demonstrated the damage to the Reflecting Pool was caused by a flawed contractor installation rather than criminal vandalism.

Prosecutors have said those records were not provided before a grand jury returned an indictment against Hearn.

In the court filing seeking dismissal, the Justice Department said newly produced Interior Department documents described a rushed installation process and longstanding issues with the Reflecting Pool's protective liner.

Prosecutors wrote that the newly uncovered evidence made it difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hearn caused the damage and stated they would not have pursued an indictment had the information been disclosed earlier.