Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Trump blames vandals for damaged grass in where he held his big July 4 celebration
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump says vandals are to blame for large swaths of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial — in the spot where he had a stage built and hosted crowds for his July 4 celebration. Trump made the accusation in a social media post on Sunday […]
The buck stops somewhere else: A look at Trump’s tendency to avoid blame when things go awry
WASHINGTON | It is among the most famous phrases in presidential history: ” The buck stops here.” Except with President Donald Trump, it almost never does. Concerns about a weak economy and still-high inflation? His predecessor, Joe Biden, saddled him with that, he says, even though the Democrat has been out of office for 18-plus […]
The buck stops somewhere else: A look at Trump’s tendency to avoid blame when things go awry
WASHINGTON | It is among the most famous phrases in presidential history: ” The buck stops here.” Except with President Donald Trump, it almost never does. Concerns about a weak economy and still-high inflation? His predecessor, Joe Biden, saddled him with that, he says, even though the Democrat has been out of office for 18-plus […]
Reflecting Pool’s botched repairs threaten to tarnish the National Park Service’s reputation
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump’s botched repairs at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have landed the National Park Service in a political predicament. The beloved federal agency, its iconic park rangers and other employees have been serving the public while managing controversial demands by the Republican president — from revising exhibits at parks and other […]
FACT CHECK: A look at Trump’s false and misleading claims about the Reflecting Pool
In April, President Donald Trump announced that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was being renovated to address long-standing cosmetic and structural issues. He initially promised a gleaming blue pool that would be fixed in a week at a cost of $1.5 million, much less than what previous administrations had paid for work on the national […]
No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized
WASHINGTON | Jeanine Pirro this week found out there’s a tradeoff between loyalty to President Donald Trump and being loyal to reality. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia — a fierce defender and decades-long friend — openly refuted Trump’s claims of vandalism regarding one of his treasured D.C. construction projects, admitting in court […]
Lawyers in Reflecting Pool case say Justice Department knew case was flawed
WASHINGTON | The Justice Department knew or should have known for weeks that its case against a former Olympian charged with intentionally damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was flawed, and that he bore no responsibility for longstanding problems at the landmark, defense lawyers said Tuesday. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Friday moved to dismiss […]
Trump says Pirro ‘folded like an umbrella’ in bid to drop Reflecting Pool vandalism charges
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said Monday that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro “choked” and “folded like an umbrella” in moving to drop charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Speaking at an unrelated Oval Office event, Trump ducked questions about whether he’d fire Pirro, a former Fox News host […]
Trump blasts Pirro after she refutes his claim that Reflecting Pool was damaged by vandals
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump on Saturday sharply criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s assessment that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was the result of shoddy construction and not the work of vandals, as he claims. Pirro’s office, in a court filing on Friday, moved to drop criminal charges against a former Olympian, David […]
Evidence refutes Trump’s vandalism claims in Reflecting Pool debacle. Charges dismissed
WASHINGTON | The Justice Department moved Friday to dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying evidence prosecutors had recently received refuted the idea that vandals were to blame. Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing that additional documents provided by the Interior Department since […]