U.S. Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host, filed to dismiss felony charges against an accused vandal of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool—a restoration project Trump had personally championed. Trump responded publicly with criticism, characterising her action as weakness and stating she "folded like an umbrella," whilst media reports indicated he was considering her removal from office.

The dismissal centres on what actually damaged the pool. Interior Department documentation indicated the harm resulted from faulty installation work rather than deliberate destruction, information that surfaced after indictment proceedings had already commenced. Trump maintains vandalism occurred and points to surveillance video as evidence, though fact-checkers have noted the footage does not clearly substantiate intentional damage. Pirro's attorney argues that earlier disclosure of the installation problems would have prevented the indictment, whilst Trump's concerns raise broader questions about how presidential priorities might influence prosecution decisions.