Crucial Quote
“There was an effort, a violent effort, to rip up the sealant from the bottom of the pool. And irrespective of whether or not we think that there is some situation that preceded it, we can state and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused damage. And that damage is over $1,000,” Pirro said. When asked how prosecutors would prove the pool was not damaged beforehand, Pirro flippantly replied “come to the trial.” When asked if the sealant was already damaged before Hearn touched it, Pirro repeated “he damaged this pool” multiple times.
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Key Background
President Donald Trump began renovations on the Reflecting Pool in April. The pool was drained and coated with an “American flag blue” sealant, before being refilled in June. But days later, an algae bloom returned to the basin, and visitors began noticing damage to the recently installed sealant. Trump blamed the damage on vandals, who he has repeatedly said cut the sealant with a knife. Multiple people have been arrested and cited for vandalism, including Hearn, who was on a bike ride before he was arrested on June 19. He told the Washington Post he was detained for five hours after a confrontation with Park Police. “I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong, so I had no reason to think I was going to be arrested,” Hearn later told MS NOW.