Trump Goons Botch Own Case Against Reflecting Pool ‘Vandal’

Key Points:

• Former Olympian David Hearn, the only person charged with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, has had the federal indictment against him challenged due to the government's failure to preserve key evidence.
• Hearn's attorneys argue that despite requests to preserve the pool's lining, the Trump administration repeatedly drained the pool and allowed large portions of the liner to disappear, undermining Hearn's ability to mount a defense.
• The government accused Hearn of violently ripping two square feet of the pool’s new coating, but he maintains he only touched already peeling material and has pleaded not guilty to felony destruction of property.
• D.C. Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean recently denied the prosecution's request to bar Hearn from returning to the pool, signaling potential weaknesses in the case.
• The Trump administration faces criticism for its $16 million renovation of the pool, which has been marred by peeling paint, algae blooms, and a failure to show visible vandalism, raising questions about the validity of claims against alleged "vandals."