President Donald Trump has strongly criticized the decision to drop criminal charges related to damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, disputing the conclusion that the harm resulted from construction flaws rather than vandalism.

On Friday, the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro filed to dismiss charges against former Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of damaging the pool following its renovation ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration in July.

While acknowledging on social media that “there may have been some contractor difficulty” involved in installing a new liner for the pool, Trump maintained that “the major damage was caused by VANDALS!” He added, “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro,” signaling a rare public divergence from a Justice Department appointee during his second term.

The move to drop the charges represents a setback for the Justice Department, which had initially supported the allegations against Hearn and framed the prosecution as upholding accountability for damage to a prominent national landmark.

Government attorneys cited new documentation from the Interior Department indicating the pool’s damage was primarily due to a flawed installation by contractors and the accelerated timeline imposed to finish the project before the America 250 festivities.

Despite these findings, Trump reiterated on Saturday his belief that vandals were chiefly responsible, although he has not presented new evidence to substantiate this claim. The development highlights tensions within the administration regarding the narrative surrounding the Reflecting Pool’s condition and accountability for the damage.