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August 3, 2026 / 4:01 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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Washington — President Trump on Monday publicly rebuked Jeanine Pirro, his handpicked U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, for dropping the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case, and ignored questions about whether he intends to fire her. The Justice Department submitted a court filing Friday moving to dismiss vandalism charges against 67-year-old former Olympian David Hearn, saying the Interior Department incorrectly attributed damage in the pool's lining to vandalism and that evidence showed "contractor error" and a "botched installation" were to blame. That move did not rest well with Mr. Trump, who said Pirro "choked" and "made a mistake." "I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro," Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. "Really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella." "Frankly, I think she choked," he said. "...I guess she choked. I don't know what the hell happened."The president snapped at one reporter who asked if he's reconsidering her role as U.S. attorney, and ignored another question from a reporter about whether he'll fire Pirro. The president had previously voiced his displeasure on Truth Social, writing Saturday, "I disagree 100%" with Pirro's decision on the Reflecting Pool case. But Monday's comments in the Oval Office went further. Asked if the president is considering removing Pirro from her post, the White House referred CBS News to the president's comments in the Oval Office.
