{"id":1997,"date":"2026-08-03T21:37:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T21:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997"},"modified":"2026-08-03T21:37:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T21:37:21","slug":"pirro-arrives-at-white-house-after-trump-says-she-choked-folded-like-an-umbrella","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997","title":{"rendered":"Pirro Arrives At White House After Trump Says She \u2018Choked,\u2019 \u2018Folded Like an Umbrella\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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President Donald Trump on Monday escalated his criticism of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, accusing one of his longtime allies of \u201cchoking\u201d after her office dropped criminal charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Adam Schiff\u2019s Gambling Bill Has An Awkward Coincidence<\/a><\/p>\n

In the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration with Pirro, who was appointed U.S. attorney in part because of her close relationship with the president.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things, and it\u2019s a disgrace,\u201d Trump told reporters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The president was referring to news that broke Friday, when Pirro\u2019s office determined that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stemmed from faulty construction rather than vandalism.<\/p>\n

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White House reporter Jake Taylor spotted Pirro arriving at the West Wing following Trump\u2019s remarks.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

The Daily Wire asked the White House whether Pirro\u2019s job was in jeopardy following Trump\u2019s criticism. The administration referred back to the president\u2019s public comments without offering further clarification.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pirro moved to drop criminal charges against David Heard, a former U.S. Olympian, who prosecutors accused of deliberately damaging the pool during a sweeping renovation project for America\u2019s 250th anniversary. <\/span>In a motion to dismiss the case<\/span>, the D.C. Attorney\u2019s Office blamed \u201cflawed installation\u201d by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings for the damage, admitting that newly produced evidence \u201cundermines the evidentiary basis\u201d for the indictment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the weekend, Trump said he \u201c100%\u201d disagreed with Pirro\u2019s decision in a scathing <\/span>Truth Social<\/span> post, and on Monday, he emphasized his dissent from the White House.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd frankly, I think she choked because the judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI think she choked because the judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd I guess she choked. I don\u2019t know what the hell happened,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It marked a dramatic reversal for Pirro, who had secured a grand jury indictment against the three-time Olympian just weeks earlier, alleging he ripped a piece of sealant from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with his bare hands. Hearn, 67, was facing a felony count of destruction of property following his arrest last month in the nation\u2019s capital, <\/span>The Daily Wire<\/span> previously reported.<\/span><\/p>\n

An attorney for Hearn <\/span>said<\/span> his client was innocent and that the grand jury charges were \u201coutrageous and should be alarming to every American.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a deliberate act to damage the reflecting pool at the National Mall that members of the National Park Service actually have worked hard to restore,\u201d Pirro said at a July 2 press conference. \u201cWe can state and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused damage, and that damage is over $1,000.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On June 19, Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was on a bike ride when he stopped to see the reflecting pool\u00a0<\/span>after viral reports of algae in the water, describing himself to ABC News as a \u201ccurious, concerned citizen.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s when U.S. Park Police warned, then cited, the former Olympian after he touched a piece of blue coating. Prosecutors say he later tore two square feet of sealant from the bottom of the pool, an account Hearn denies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw a piece of this loose end of this blue coating \u2026 I reached out and touched the end of that piece that was loose but still attached to the bottom,\u201d Hearn told ABC News. \u201cI was able to reach out and touch the edge that was still attached at the bottom and handled it a little bit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At the time, federal prosecutors painted a different picture of the incident.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands,\u201d Pirro said in July, adding that witnesses described Hearn\u2019s behavior as \u201cbelligerent\u201d and \u201cdisrespectful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Lindsay Clancy Strangled Her Three Children. Why Some People Want Her Set Free.<\/a><\/p>\n

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The dismissal of the case marks a setback for Trump, who has repeatedly railed against damage and negative publicity surrounding iconic landmarks he has pushed to restore, calling alleged vandals \u201cSICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!\u201d<\/div>\n
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President Donald Trump on Monday escalated his criticism of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, accusing one of his longtime allies of \u201cchoking\u201d after her office dropped criminal charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.In the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration with Pirro, who was appointed U.S. attorney in part because of her close relationship with the president.\u201cI was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things, and it\u2019s a disgrace,\u201d Trump told reporters.\u00a0The president was referring to news that broke Friday, when Pirro\u2019s office determined that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stemmed from faulty construction rather than vandalism.White House reporter Jake Taylor spotted Pirro arriving at the West Wing following Trump\u2019s remarks.The Daily Wire asked the White House whether Pirro\u2019s job was in jeopardy following Trump\u2019s criticism. The administration referred back to the president\u2019s public comments without offering further clarification.Pirro moved to drop criminal charges against David Heard, a former U.S. Olympian, who prosecutors accused of deliberately damaging the pool during a sweeping renovation project for America\u2019s 250th anniversary. In a motion to dismiss the case, the D.C. Attorney\u2019s Office blamed \u201cflawed installation\u201d by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings for the damage, admitting that newly produced evidence \u201cundermines the evidentiary basis\u201d for the indictment.Over the weekend, Trump said he \u201c100%\u201d disagreed with Pirro\u2019s decision in a scathing Truth Social post, and on Monday, he emphasized his dissent from the White House.\u201cAnd frankly, I think she choked because the judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI think she choked because the judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department.\u201d\u00a0\u201cAnd I guess she choked. I don\u2019t know what the hell happened,\u201d he added.\u00a0It marked a dramatic reversal for Pirro, who had secured a grand jury indictment against the three-time Olympian just weeks earlier, alleging he ripped a piece of sealant from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with his bare hands. Hearn, 67, was facing a felony count of destruction of property following his arrest last month in the nation\u2019s capital, The Daily Wire previously reported.An attorney for Hearn said his client was innocent and that the grand jury charges were \u201coutrageous and should be alarming to every American.\u201d\u201cThis was a deliberate act to damage the reflecting pool at the National Mall that members of the National Park Service actually have worked hard to restore,\u201d Pirro said at a July 2 press conference. \u201cWe can state and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused damage, and that damage is over $1,000.\u201dOn June 19, Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was on a bike ride when he stopped to see the reflecting pool\u00a0after viral reports of algae in the water, describing himself to ABC News as a \u201ccurious, concerned citizen.\u201d\u00a0That\u2019s when U.S. Park Police warned, then cited, the former Olympian after he touched a piece of blue coating. Prosecutors say he later tore two square feet of sealant from the bottom of the pool, an account Hearn denies.\u201cI saw a piece of this loose end of this blue coating \u2026 I reached out and touched the end of that piece that was loose but still attached to the bottom,\u201d Hearn told ABC News. \u201cI was able to reach out and touch the edge that was still attached at the bottom and handled it a little bit.\u201dAt the time, federal prosecutors painted a different picture of the incident.\u00a0\u201cOur evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands,\u201d Pirro said in July, adding that witnesses described Hearn\u2019s behavior as \u201cbelligerent\u201d and \u201cdisrespectful.\u201dThe dismissal of the case marks a setback for Trump, who has repeatedly railed against damage and negative publicity surrounding iconic landmarks he has pushed to restore, calling alleged vandals \u201cSICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1996,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-2"],"yoast_head":"\nPirro Arrives At White House After Trump Says She \u2018Choked,\u2019 \u2018Folded Like an Umbrella\u2019 - Blue Route Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pirro Arrives At White House After Trump Says She \u2018Choked,\u2019 \u2018Folded Like an Umbrella\u2019 - Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"President Donald Trump on Monday escalated his criticism of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, accusing one of his longtime allies of \u201cchoking\u201d after her office dropped criminal charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.In the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration with Pirro, who was appointed U.S. attorney in part because of her close relationship with the president.\u201cI was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things, and it\u2019s a disgrace,\u201d Trump told reporters.\u00a0The president was referring to news that broke Friday, when Pirro\u2019s office determined that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stemmed from faulty construction rather than vandalism.White House reporter Jake Taylor spotted Pirro arriving at the West Wing following Trump\u2019s remarks.The Daily Wire asked the White House whether Pirro\u2019s job was in jeopardy following Trump\u2019s criticism. The administration referred back to the president\u2019s public comments without offering further clarification.Pirro moved to drop criminal charges against David Heard, a former U.S. Olympian, who prosecutors accused of deliberately damaging the pool during a sweeping renovation project for America\u2019s 250th anniversary. In a motion to dismiss the case, the D.C. Attorney\u2019s Office blamed \u201cflawed installation\u201d by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings for the damage, admitting that newly produced evidence \u201cundermines the evidentiary basis\u201d for the indictment.Over the weekend, Trump said he \u201c100%\u201d disagreed with Pirro\u2019s decision in a scathing Truth Social post, and on Monday, he emphasized his dissent from the White House.\u201cAnd frankly, I think she choked because the judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI think she choked because the judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department.\u201d\u00a0\u201cAnd I guess she choked. I don\u2019t know what the hell happened,\u201d he added.\u00a0It marked a dramatic reversal for Pirro, who had secured a grand jury indictment against the three-time Olympian just weeks earlier, alleging he ripped a piece of sealant from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with his bare hands. Hearn, 67, was facing a felony count of destruction of property following his arrest last month in the nation\u2019s capital, The Daily Wire previously reported.An attorney for Hearn said his client was innocent and that the grand jury charges were \u201coutrageous and should be alarming to every American.\u201d\u201cThis was a deliberate act to damage the reflecting pool at the National Mall that members of the National Park Service actually have worked hard to restore,\u201d Pirro said at a July 2 press conference. \u201cWe can state and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused damage, and that damage is over $1,000.\u201dOn June 19, Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was on a bike ride when he stopped to see the reflecting pool\u00a0after viral reports of algae in the water, describing himself to ABC News as a \u201ccurious, concerned citizen.\u201d\u00a0That\u2019s when U.S. Park Police warned, then cited, the former Olympian after he touched a piece of blue coating. Prosecutors say he later tore two square feet of sealant from the bottom of the pool, an account Hearn denies.\u201cI saw a piece of this loose end of this blue coating \u2026 I reached out and touched the end of that piece that was loose but still attached to the bottom,\u201d Hearn told ABC News. \u201cI was able to reach out and touch the edge that was still attached at the bottom and handled it a little bit.\u201dAt the time, federal prosecutors painted a different picture of the incident.\u00a0\u201cOur evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands,\u201d Pirro said in July, adding that witnesses described Hearn\u2019s behavior as \u201cbelligerent\u201d and \u201cdisrespectful.\u201dThe dismissal of the case marks a setback for Trump, who has repeatedly railed against damage and negative publicity surrounding iconic landmarks he has pushed to restore, calling alleged vandals \u201cSICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-03T21:37:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1997#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1997\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\"},\"headline\":\"Pirro Arrives At White House After Trump Says She \u2018Choked,\u2019 \u2018Folded Like an Umbrella\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-03T21:37:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1997\"},\"wordCount\":744,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1997#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/12a8853b0b56aa27d39e6604d527cf5d.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1997#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1997\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1997\",\"name\":\"Pirro Arrives At White House After Trump Says She \u2018Choked,\u2019 \u2018Folded Like an Umbrella\u2019 - 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Blue Route Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Pirro Arrives At White House After Trump Says She \u2018Choked,\u2019 \u2018Folded Like an Umbrella\u2019 - Blue Route Journal","og_description":"President Donald Trump on Monday escalated his criticism of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, accusing one of his longtime allies of \u201cchoking\u201d after her office dropped criminal charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.In the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration with Pirro, who was appointed U.S. attorney in part because of her close relationship with the president.\u201cI was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things, and it\u2019s a disgrace,\u201d Trump told reporters.\u00a0The president was referring to news that broke Friday, when Pirro\u2019s office determined that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stemmed from faulty construction rather than vandalism.White House reporter Jake Taylor spotted Pirro arriving at the West Wing following Trump\u2019s remarks.The Daily Wire asked the White House whether Pirro\u2019s job was in jeopardy following Trump\u2019s criticism. The administration referred back to the president\u2019s public comments without offering further clarification.Pirro moved to drop criminal charges against David Heard, a former U.S. Olympian, who prosecutors accused of deliberately damaging the pool during a sweeping renovation project for America\u2019s 250th anniversary. In a motion to dismiss the case, the D.C. Attorney\u2019s Office blamed \u201cflawed installation\u201d by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings for the damage, admitting that newly produced evidence \u201cundermines the evidentiary basis\u201d for the indictment.Over the weekend, Trump said he \u201c100%\u201d disagreed with Pirro\u2019s decision in a scathing Truth Social post, and on Monday, he emphasized his dissent from the White House.\u201cAnd frankly, I think she choked because the judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI think she choked because the judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department.\u201d\u00a0\u201cAnd I guess she choked. I don\u2019t know what the hell happened,\u201d he added.\u00a0It marked a dramatic reversal for Pirro, who had secured a grand jury indictment against the three-time Olympian just weeks earlier, alleging he ripped a piece of sealant from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with his bare hands. Hearn, 67, was facing a felony count of destruction of property following his arrest last month in the nation\u2019s capital, The Daily Wire previously reported.An attorney for Hearn said his client was innocent and that the grand jury charges were \u201coutrageous and should be alarming to every American.\u201d\u201cThis was a deliberate act to damage the reflecting pool at the National Mall that members of the National Park Service actually have worked hard to restore,\u201d Pirro said at a July 2 press conference. \u201cWe can state and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused damage, and that damage is over $1,000.\u201dOn June 19, Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was on a bike ride when he stopped to see the reflecting pool\u00a0after viral reports of algae in the water, describing himself to ABC News as a \u201ccurious, concerned citizen.\u201d\u00a0That\u2019s when U.S. Park Police warned, then cited, the former Olympian after he touched a piece of blue coating. Prosecutors say he later tore two square feet of sealant from the bottom of the pool, an account Hearn denies.\u201cI saw a piece of this loose end of this blue coating \u2026 I reached out and touched the end of that piece that was loose but still attached to the bottom,\u201d Hearn told ABC News. \u201cI was able to reach out and touch the edge that was still attached at the bottom and handled it a little bit.\u201dAt the time, federal prosecutors painted a different picture of the incident.\u00a0\u201cOur evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands,\u201d Pirro said in July, adding that witnesses described Hearn\u2019s behavior as \u201cbelligerent\u201d and \u201cdisrespectful.\u201dThe dismissal of the case marks a setback for Trump, who has repeatedly railed against damage and negative publicity surrounding iconic landmarks he has pushed to restore, calling alleged vandals \u201cSICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!\u201d","og_url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997","og_site_name":"Blue Route Journal","article_published_time":"2026-08-03T21:37:21+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c"},"headline":"Pirro Arrives At White House After Trump Says She \u2018Choked,\u2019 \u2018Folded Like an Umbrella\u2019","datePublished":"2026-08-03T21:37:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997"},"wordCount":744,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/12a8853b0b56aa27d39e6604d527cf5d.avif","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1997","name":"Pirro Arrives At White House After Trump Says She \u2018Choked,\u2019 \u2018Folded Like an Umbrella\u2019 - 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