Former Olympian among those charged with vandalizing Reflecting Pool

WolfGate · Jul 27, 2026

DaisyDay said:
Fixing the pool now may torpedo the vandalism cases if evidence gets spoliated.

Judge Says Trump DOJ’s Reflecting Pool Fix Could Weaken Its Case – Idaho Public Press

idahopublicpress.com

A judge warns that a Trump DOJ plan to fix the Reflecting Pool could undermine its own prosecution in Washington, D.C., turning a repair job on the National Mall into a legal conflict over the Reflecting Pool repair effort. The warning matters because prosecutors may need the damaged site as evidence, not just scenery.

The core issue is prejudice: if federal agencies alter or repair the pool before defendants can examine alleged damage, defense lawyers could argue the government changed key evidence while still seeking punishment. That is how a Trump DOJ Reflecting Pool fix meant to restore a landmark could complicate, or even weaken, the prosecution.

Based on historical administration patterns, I doubt they care if it gets dismissed. Time and time again we've seen them make claims and arrest or sue people to use the publicity as both a way to increase outrage among their base and also to deter people from lawfully doing things that might reflect poorly on the administration. The large number of dismissals that follow don't ger the same hyped up media attention and are generally ignored by the sources that the administration's supporter almost exclusively consume. This case may get dismissed, but the base will not be aware and will insist the pool was vandalized.

rambot · Jul 27, 2026

The current American government is probably about 90% media management (which, to all their other ethical and moral failings, is a huge skill of theirs)

Landon Caeli · Jul 27, 2026

WolfGate said:
Based on historical administration patterns, I doubt they care if it gets dismissed. Time and time again we've seen them make claims and arrest or sue people to use the publicity as both a way to increase outrage among their base and also to deter people from lawfully doing things that might reflect poorly on the administration. The large number of dismissals that follow don't ger the same hyped up media attention and are generally ignored by the sources that the administration's supporter almost exclusively consume. This case may get dismissed, but the base will not be aware and will insist the pool was vandalized.

Why wouldn't they do that, considering all the efforts put in by the left wing media?

The mocking of Trump’s decision to paint the pool's basin "American Flag Blue"
Left-wing commentators and media outlets criticizing the costs
Outrage over the expedited, no-bid contract
Lawsuit filing claiming the administration violated the National Historic Preservation Act by fast-tracking the renovation
Controversy over an algae bloom that turned the water green
Drawing global attention to the peeled material

...You think you get 6 clean shots of smearing the administration, across the entire world, without a single return fire? Not happening. And so what.

DaisyDay · Jul 27, 2026

Smeared with the truth!! What can a president and his minions do but arrest random people and try to blame the fiasco on them?

Meanwhile, it takes everyone's mind (temporarily) off the Epstein files and the Zorro Ranch, not to mention the not a war with Iran.

WolfGate · Jul 27, 2026

I read your whole response, and it reads like you only responded to the last 6 words I wrotei

Landon Caeli said:
Why wouldn't they do that, considering all the efforts put in by the left wing media?

The mocking of Trump’s decision to paint the pool's basin "American Flag Blue"

Left-wing commentators and media outlets criticizing the costs

Outrage over the expedited, no-bid contract

Lawsuit filing claiming the administration violated the National Historic Preservation Act by fast-tracking the renovation

Controversy over an algae bloom that turned the water green

Drawing global attention to the peeled material

...You think you get 6 clean shots of smearing the administration, across the entire world, without a single return fire? Not happening. And so what.

To me your whole response reads like you only responded to the last 6 words I wrote

Bradskii · Jul 27, 2026

Landon Caeli said:
...You think you get 6 clean shots of smearing the administration, across the entire world, without a single return fire? Not happening.

I honestly believe that all those chipping in to this often amusing diversion from the real problems that Trump is causing could really care less if the pool is a funny shade of green or it's been painted blue or there are dead ducks floating around in it. It's a microcosm of the way Trump deals with everything but I think that killing UsAid, the war in Iran, his idiocy regarding climate change, his mental health...all these things and much more are the real concerns.

For the life of me, I can't see why any Trump supporter such as yourself would even attempt to excuse this minor farce. It's par for the course that the guy in charge gets pinged for minor cluster whotsits such as this but to crank up your self important sense of outrage on this is completely over the top.

To be honest, you are being trolled to a certain extent. The more outraged you and others are, the more likely it is that people will keep poking, in a light hearted manner, using this minor farce as a metaphor for the really serious problems. I was going to say that I really don't understand his supporters getting all bent out of shape about this. As you are. But one of those really serious problems is that the MAGA crowd will bend over backwards before they will concede that something relevant to this administration (and honestly, POTUS should not have anything whatsoever to do with clearing up algae in a pond) has gone a little pear shaped. A simple 'Well, I guess that didn't turn out as planned' from you would show that you are not a head-in-the-sand, there's-nothing-he-can-do-wrong type. Those types are a complete waste of time arguing with. Discussions are a waste of band width. Trump is always right even when it is not up for debate that he is wrong.

This bloody pond is not the problem. It's the attitude of his supporters exhibited in this case by their defence of it which is the problem, summed up by that completely over the top quote at the start of this post.

Nithavela · Jul 27, 2026

Bradskii said:
For the life of me, I can't see why any Trump supporter such as yourself would even attempt to excuse this minor farce.

I have seen a lot of interviews of Trump supporters that were either unwilling or unable to name a single thing done by Trump they find fault with. Even if they couldn't tell name a single positive, concrete action he did, they were ready to die on the hill that everything he did was perfect.

Bradskii · Jul 27, 2026

Nithavela said:
I have seen a lot of interviews of Trump supporters that were either unwilling or unable to name a single thing done by Trump they find fault with.

There's at least one who has admitted in a recent thread. I find that beyond crazy.

Landon Caeli · Jul 27, 2026

Bradskii said:
There's at least one who has admitted in a recent thread. I find that beyond crazy.

Nithavela said:
I have seen a lot of interviews of Trump supporters that were either unwilling or unable to name a single thing done by Trump they find fault with. Even if they couldn't tell name a single positive, concrete action he did, they were ready to die on the hill that everything he did was perfect.

If there's anything that Trump has failed on, in my opinion, it's that he's not having the military taunt Iran enough... We should be flying over Kharg Island all day, every day, with helicopters snd jets, and flying around the areas where we think Mojtaba Khamenei might be, and doing sonic booms and low altitude flyovers, constantly, to cause panic and increase psychological distress.

...We have to get into the heads of the IRGC individuals themselves, and make them feel trapped, and instill the feeling that there is no way to escape. They have to have a sense of hopelessness, and fear, and by using low altitude flyovers, you can enter their psyche, and accomplish this goal. We need to break them down.

How about some reconnaissance-in-force (RIF), or scouting missions? Just to get a feel for what we can get away with or not?

...This is what I would suggest, if I had to choose an area where the president hasn't maximized his potential.

Servus · Tuesday at 4:34 AM

Nithavela said:
I have seen a lot of interviews of Trump supporters that were either unwilling or unable to name a single thing done by Trump they find fault with. Even if they couldn't tell name a single positive, concrete action he did, they were ready to die on the hill that everything he did was perfect.

There's no condurum involved. It's called lending support. Just like those who lent support to other presidents. Supporters aren't going to say something that the opposition will use as ammunition.

essentialsaltes · Tuesday at 9:57 AM

Ex-Olympian charged with damaging Reflecting Pool sees 'irregularities' in grand jury proceedings

A National Park Service official testified that the pool already was damaged before Hearn allegedly touched it, couldn't quantify any damage attributable to Hearn and said the same repairs would have been required regardless of his conduct, defense attorneys said.

WolfGate · Tuesday at 11:19 AM

Servus said:
There's no condurum involved. It's called lending support. Just like those who lent support to other presidents. Supporters aren't going to say something that the opposition will use as ammunition.

This is highly illustrative of the harmful team mentality we find ourselves dealing with. Parties see things on a horizontal axis - does this issue gain my party power or cost my party power? Citizens should view things on a vertical axis - does this make things better for the people or worse for the people? Based on that question across a range of issues, citizens should vote for the candidates that best fit their vision on the vertical axis. Instead, the parties have become wildly successful at getting people to act more in line with their horizontal axis, even when it hurts theri very supporters.

It's an insane place to be. If people were thinking vertically, they'd support or oppose the issue and how they responded to an elected official could change depending on the issue. The way it is now, our elected can never deal with issues and instead focus on creating outrage to strengthen the team. And the people are willing to stand for nothing and change their values on a tweet.

Trogdor the Burninator · Wednesday at 4:16 PM

essentialsaltes said:
It's true we supported Michelle Obama suggesting we eat healthy foods and eradicating a portion of the White House lawn for a vegetable garden.

Collective farming!. Sounds communist to me!

Goonie · Thursday at 7:51 AM

essentialsaltes said:
Ex-Olympian charged with damaging Reflecting Pool sees 'irregularities' in grand jury proceedings
A National Park Service official testified that the pool already was damaged before Hearn allegedly touched it, couldn't quantify any damage attributable to Hearn and said the same repairs would have been required regardless of his conduct, defense attorneys said.

So can't quantify the damage. So not $1000+ then.

Aryeh Jay · Friday at 12:09 AM

Trogdor the Burninator said:
Collective farming!. Sounds communist to me!

We stomped that nonsense out! Can't grow nothing on a concrete slab! Owning the Libs! America!

DaisyDay · Friday at 10:55 AM

Aryeh Jay said:
We stomped that nonsense out! Can't grow nothing on a concrete slab! Owning the Libs! America!

Lichen.

durangodawood · Friday at 1:45 PM

DaisyDay said:
Lichen.

imo this would be a gorgeous color scheme for the reflecting pool:

Desk trauma · Friday at 5:36 PM

Justice Dept. admits Reflecting Pool renovation was flawed, drops case against former Olympian

DaisyDay · Friday at 5:48 PM

Can David Hearn sue for malicious prosecution?

essentialsaltes · Friday at 6:05 PM

DaisyDay said:
Can David Hearn sue for malicious prosecution?

Cha-Ching!

Former Olympian among those charged with vandalizing Reflecting Pool

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Ex-Olympian charged with damaging Reflecting Pool sees 'irregularities' in grand jury proceedings​

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Ex-Olympian charged with damaging Reflecting Pool sees 'irregularities' in grand jury proceedings​

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Justice Dept. admits Reflecting Pool renovation was flawed, drops case against former Olympian​

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