Trump admits contractor errors damaged Lincoln Memorial pool lining

President Donald Trump has finally admitted that mistakes made by contractors played a role in the mess at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He called it a "contractor error." The President noted that workers rushed the job to meet a July 4th opening deadline, but he insisted the damage was limited to a small area of this massive pool and remained relatively inconsequential.

Trump posted these comments on social media Sunday. He stood by his claims that the pool lining suffered vandalism after the renovation turned into a flashpoint for controversy. He also repeated accusations against former Olympian David Hearn following Hearn's arrest for allegedly vandalizing the site. Trump cited a "highly credible witness" who said Hearn was "violently ripping and tugging" at the liner, which bubbled up once installed.

The President expressed disappointment that no video footage existed to convict Hearn or other suspects. He promised additional security cameras would be added to stop future vandals. "There was substantial other damage to the Reflecting Pool," Trump wrote. "Also but, unfortunately, there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself." The pool will reopen shortly after repairs finish.

Hearn's legal team threatened a lawsuit against Trump for what they called "continued harassment" over this drama, labeling it "outrageous." Hearn told the Daily Mail last month that his arrest was wrong. "It's a completely unfounded accusation. It's a lie," Hearn said in an interview. He denied ripping or tearing any part of the reflecting pool.

Trump previously admitted he was not thrilled with the work contractors finished under that accelerated timeline. "I'm not saying I was 100 percent thrilled with the contractor, but the contractor was rushing. We wanted to get it open for July 4th, and we got it done," he told reporters last week.

Trouble also arose in court. The US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, dropped charges against Hearn and others after reviewing new documents. Trump reacted with fury when he learned she did so. "I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro," Trump said while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office. "She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things, and it's a disgrace."

A court filing released Friday explained that new evidence undermined the case against Hearn. The documents indicated the damage resulted from a botched installation rather than vandalism as the Interior Department originally claimed. Government lawyers acknowledged this in a 20-page document. "Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism," the filing stated.