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President Donald Trump admitted \u201csome contractor error\u201d occurred when renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, an admission that comes as he has for months blamed damage on alleged vandals.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump admitted “some contractor error” occurred while repairing the Reflecting Pool. (Photo by Eric Lee\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
In a Sunday evening post<\/a>, Trump doubled down on his claims that ex-Olympian David Hearn vandalized the Reflecting Pool by \u201cviolently\u201d tugging at the liner, citing a National Park Service employee who allegedly saw the incident.<\/p>\n Trump claimed there is \u201csubstantial other damage to the Reflecting Pool,\u201d but admitted there is \u201cno video or proof, other than the damage, itself.\u201d<\/p>\n Last week, Trump told reporters<\/a> in the Oval Office the administration has \u201cphotographs or tapes, like moving cameras, where people are on the side cutting it with a box knife,\u201d and the U.S. Park Police posted<\/a> a video in June of what appears to be an individual reaching into the pool.<\/p>\n Trump admitted there was \u201csome contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening,\u201d but claimed the contractor error covered \u201ca very small area of this massive Pool, and was relatively inconsequential.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump has repeatedly criticized U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro after her office dropped<\/a> vandalism charges against Hearn and other individuals who were accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool, blaming the damage on a \u201crushed and botched installation\u201d by the contractor in court filings.<\/p>\n what to watch for<\/p>\n Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, told The New Republic<\/a> that Democrats on the committee will launch an investigation into the decision to charge Hearn and other individuals this week. \u201cJudiciary Democrats will investigate who lied, who buried the evidence, and who decided to threaten an American citizen with prison simply to protect Trump\u2019s wounded feelings and continuing corruption,\u201d Raskin told The New Republic, saying he will demand records from the Justice Department and Interior Department relating to the charging decisions. <\/p>\n Why Is Trump Sparring With Jeanine Pirro?<\/p>\n Pirro has been the subject of Trump\u2019s ire over the past week, as the president alleged<\/a> she \u201cchoked\u201d and \u201cmade a mistake\u201d after her office chose to drop the Reflecting Pool vandalism charges. He urged<\/a> her on Friday to \u201cre-visit her hastily made decision\u201d to drop the charges. Trump considered firing Pirro last week, two unnamed sources familiar with his thinking told CNN<\/a>, though Pirro remains in her role as of Monday. In dropping the charges, Pirro\u2019s office accused the Interior Department of only providing information that suggested the pool damage was due to a contractor error after her office had already charged Hearn. Had the Interior Department been \u201cforthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment,\u201d the filing says. <\/p>\n key background<\/p>\n Trump has consistently blamed vandals for the botched renovation of the Reflecting Pool, which has been plagued by a peeling liner and resurfacing algae. Trump has made varying claims<\/a> about the alleged damage done to the pool, once claiming an apparent gash in the liner was 300 yards (or 900 feet), though pictures of the drained pool did not appear to support his claims. A Washington Post<\/a> analysis of the pool, based on satellite imagery and conversations with experts, found the lining appears to be peeling in about seven places, indicating apparent problems with its installation. The Reflecting Pool upgrades have reportedly ballooned in cost from under $2 million to about $16 million, and a group of Senate Democrats said in June they would probe<\/a> \u201cserious questions\u201d they have about \u201cproject management, contracting practices, quality control, and fiscal responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n further reading<\/p>\n