On Monday, August 4th, 2026, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, brought a box full of evidence to the White House in an effort to convince President Trump that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was caused by shoddy construction rather than vandalism. Sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that Pirro made her case during a sometimes heated private meeting in the Oval Office, hours after Trump publicly criticized her for dropping criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn.

Pirro was photographed leaving the White House carrying a large white box and other bags, which reportedly contained all the evidence collected from the Interior Department that exonerated Hearn and others from criminal vandalism charges. Earlier, her office had filed a motion to dismiss the felony case against Hearn, blaming the Interior Department for withholding critical evidence until after the indictment was secured by a grand jury in D.C.'s Superior Court.

The new information indicated the damage was due to a "botched installation" by a contractor, contradicting claims by President Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Burgum had posted on X on Saturday stating, "The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool."

Additionally, a District Court judge quashed grand jury subpoenas issued by Pirro's office aimed at investigating former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve regarding a costly renovation and related congressional statements. The judge ruled that the subpoenas were a pretext to pressure Powell to lower interest rates.

This development highlights ongoing tensions between federal prosecutors, the White House, and the Interior Department over the cause of the Reflecting Pool damage and related legal actions.

Sources