Donald Trump publicly criticized Janine Pirro for her decision to dismiss the case against David Hearn.
Posted by Deadline: White House, Checked
- Sources
- 3 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 93%
Deadline: White HouseSep 7, 2026
Multiple tier-1 and tier-2 outlets (AP, Reuters, Politico) report that Trump publicly criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro in early August 2026 for moving to drop the vandalism case against David Hearn, calling her actions 'choked' and 'folded like an umbrella' and saying he disagreed '100%'.
What was said
… A judge previously dismissed the case, and U.S. Attorney Janine Pirro admitted the damaged pool liner was due to a botched installation, but she sought to dismiss the case without prejudice, leaving the door open for future litigation. You remember Donald Trump repeatedly blamed the reflecting pool damage on so-called vandals and publicly criticized Jeanine Pirro for her decision to dismiss the case. At the top of the next hour, Trump's White House can change the decor, build monuments, play games, but it cannot wish away what Americans are living and feeling and seeing and paying. The next hour at Deadline White House starts after a quick break. …
Deadline: White House · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. AP reports Trump said Pirro 'choked' and 'folded like an umbrella' in moving to drop charges against Hearn, and that he remained disappointed in her assessment that the damage was from shoddy construction.[1]
Supports. Reuters reports Trump wrote on Truth Social that Pirro should 're-visit her hastily made decision' and has sharply criticized her for dropping the case.[2]
Supports. Politico reports Trump publicly broke with Pirro on Saturday over her office's decision to drop the vandalism case, writing 'I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro.'[3]
Context. Later coverage reports that the judge permanently dismissed the charges with prejudice, citing Trump's public pressure, and that the case had already been dropped at Pirro's request.[4][5]
Sources
5 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 2 tier 2, 1 not rated
- 1Trump says Pirro 'folded like an umbrella' in bid to drop ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Trump urges Pirro to revisit decision to drop Reflecting Pool case alleging vandalismreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3Trump dings longtime ally Jeanine Pirro for dropping ...politico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 4Judge dismisses Reflecting Pool damage charges against ex ... - CNNcnn.com · tier 2 · cited for: context
- 5Judge permanently tosses Reflecting Pool prosecution ...usatoday.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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