Judge rejects prosecution motion to bar ex-Olympian from Lincoln Memorial pool

The Trump administration's effort to prosecute alleged "vandalism" at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool suffered a setback on Thursday.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro sought to bar former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn from the pool after he pleaded not guilty to damaging it. D.C. Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean rebuffed that request.

"The government's evidence is weak," argued Mary Dohrmann, one of Hearn's attorneys, in court.

Another attorney for Hearn, Norm Eisen, stated: "Every American should be alarmed about this prosecution. It is not a crime to touch the Reflecting Pool."

Charges and Defense

The government is accusing Hearn of destruction of property, a charge that could carry a 10-year prison sentence if he is found guilty. Pirro claims Hearn "forcefully and violently" ripped two square feet of the pool's newly added blue paint. Hearn maintains he only touched a piece of paint that was already peeling.

"The condition of the Reflecting Pool was the same after I stepped away from the water as it was before I got there," Hearn said.

Background

President Trump has spent more than $14 million on the Reflecting Pool, including:

• Adding a blue coat of paint to the bottom
• Later dumping hydrogen peroxide into the pool to kill algae

The hydrogen peroxide caused the new paint to peel. Rather than accepting responsibility, Trump has blamed vandalism for the pool's condition. Pirro has charged at least four people in connection with the matter, including Hearn.

Support for Hearn

Many supporters gathered at the courthouse on Thursday to cheer for Hearn, including Adam Van Grack, former chair of the U.S. Olympic national governing body for canoe and kayak sports. Van Grack noted that Hearn has spent years voluntarily helping maintain National Park Service property near the Potomac River that canoeists use for training.

"This is a person who has devoted his life to representing the United States on an international stage, caring for the community, and protecting and caring for National Park Service property," Van Grack told the Associated Press. "So the idea that he is a malicious destroyer of federal property shocks the conscience and makes no sense to anybody who's ever known Davey Hearn."

Trump now insists the pool is fine, even as he is draining it once again.

Editor's Pick: Pirro Reveals Reflecting Pool Indictment of U.S. Olympian Is a Sham

U.S. Officials Signal No De-escalation in Iran Conflict

The Trump administration is not looking to wind down violence in the Iran war anytime soon, according to unnamed U.S. officials who spoke with Axios on Thursday.

The current escalation could last a day or a month, depending on whether Iran attacks more commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the brutality and bloodshed are not expected to subside in the meantime.

"We're going to slap them a bit so they understand we're not fucking around," one American official told Axios's Barak Ravid.

Causes of Escalation

The dissolution of the ceasefire reportedly stems from frustration inside Iran's theocratic regime. More radical elements of Tehran's leadership remain unconvinced that the previously arranged peace deal would benefit their nation.

U.S. officials told Axios that:

• Iran saw its grip over the strait slipping as ships began traveling through the waterway's southern route, closer to the Omani coast
• The economic incentives of the memorandum had lost their allure for Tehran, as the country found it remarkably difficult to sell oil even after the U.S. lifted economic sanctions
• Financial institutions and countries were reluctant to participate in trade based on temporary waivers

Iranian officials were also reportedly vexed that billions of dollars' worth of Iranian assets held in international accounts had not yet been unfrozen, despite stipulations requiring Iran to first meet nuclear thresholds.