Reportedly, Trump Is Weighing Pirro’s Removal After Prosecutors Concluded Faulty Construction—Not Vandalism—Caused Much of the Landmark’s Damage
President Donald Trump is considering removing Jeanine Pirro as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia after her office moved to dismiss criminal charges tied to damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Two people familiar with Trump’s thinking told the network that the president was furious over a Justice Department court filing that attributed much of the damage to a rushed and faulty renovation rather than vandalism.
One source described Pirro’s removal as “highly likely,” while a senior administration official said Trump was “blindsided” and did not know her office planned to submit the filing.
The White House has not confirmed that Pirro will be fired. Asked Monday whether he was reconsidering her position, Trump declined to answer directly but publicly delivered some of his harshest criticism yet against his longtime ally.
“I was disappointed in Jeanine Pirro. Really disappointed in Jeanine Pirro,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office event. “She folded like an umbrella.”
“Frankly, I think she choked,” he added.
Trump Says Pirro Made a Mistake
Pirro’s office filed a motion Friday to dismiss felony destruction-of-property charges against former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the newly installed lining of the Reflecting Pool.
The Justice Department initially alleged that Hearn ripped away part of the blue sealant while visiting the pool June 19. A grand jury indicted the 67-year-old Maryland resident in July. Hearn pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors reversed course after reviewing Interior Department records and testimony from National Park Service employees. The filing said evidence showed that cracking, peeling and leaking had already developed because of contractor errors during the hurried renovation.
CBS News reported that Pirro’s office has also moved to dismiss or indicated it would drop cases against three other people charged with damaging the pool.
Trump accused Pirro of mishandling the matter under pressure from the judge overseeing the case.
“The judge was really vicious,” Trump said. “Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked.”
Filing Blamed Interior Department
Pirro’s filing accused the Department of the Interior of initially providing prosecutors with incomplete information about the condition of the pool.
“Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment,” prosecutors wrote.
Pirro reportedly told Trump that career officials in her office were responsible for the filing. CNN reported that the two spoke Saturday in a conversation one source described as contentious.
Also Read: Trump’s Answer To Reflecting Pool Debacle: ‘Barack Hussein Obama’
Pirro and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum were later seen arriving at the White House on Monday.
Burgum has rejected the Justice Department’s conclusion and maintained that vandals repeatedly damaged the pool. Trump has reportedly remained supportive of Burgum and continues to insist that deliberate vandalism caused the most serious damage.
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. “I don’t know what she was thinking?”
Trump acknowledged that contractors may have encountered problems but said the “major damage was caused by VANDALS.”
Records Raise Questions About Vandalism Claims
Internal National Park Service communications obtained by CNN through public-records requests reportedly made no mention of vandalism while officials discussed draining the pool.
The records indicated that officials knew by July 1 that the water might need to be drained because of algae. The agency also considered dyeing the water, a technique previously used to create a darker and more reflective appearance.
The dispute has created an unusual public split between Trump, Pirro and senior administration officials over who is responsible for the problems surrounding the president’s $14 million renovation of one of Washington’s most recognizable landmarks.
Pirro is a former Fox News host and longtime Trump supporter whom the president selected to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington.
Her office and the Justice Department had not publicly responded Monday to reports that Trump was considering removing her.
Possible Removal Follows Departures of Other Trump-Appointed Women
Although Pirro is not a member of Trump’s Cabinet, the president personally selected her to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, making her possible removal another high-profile departure involving a prominent woman he appointed.
Four Cabinet-level women have already left Trump’s second-term administration. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was fired in March following scrutiny of a $220 million immigration advertising campaign and senate hearing. Attorney General Pam Bondi was dismissed in April amid frustration over her leadership of the Justice Department and handling of the Jeffrey Epstein records. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned later that month while facing an internal misconduct investigation.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard became the fourth Cabinet-level departure when she resigned effective June 30, citing her husband’s health. Jay Clayton was sworn in as her permanent replacement Aug. 3 after Bill Pulte served temporarily as acting director.
Each of those women was ultimately succeeded by a man. Pirro’s dismissal, should Trump follow through, would continue the broader pattern of prominent women leaving senior positions in his administration, even though her U.S. attorney post is outside the Cabinet.
