U.S. citizens gathered outside the courthouse, chanting slogans in support of the former pole vaulter.
On Thursday, former U.S. Olympic pole vaulter David Hearn pleaded not guilty to vandalizing the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, which was recently restored by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Hearn, 67, appeared before a U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after being charged with a single count of destruction of property for allegedly tearing off part of the pool’s bottom lining. Judge Carmen McLean released Hearn on his own recognizance, and he is scheduled to appear at another hearing on Aug. 5.
A group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse, chanting slogans in support of the former pole vaulter, known as Davey, and against the Trump administration.
Hearn is one of at least four individuals facing charges for allegedly vandalizing the reflecting pool following a renovation promoted by Trump, who ordered it painted blue and its plumbing repaired.
Just weeks after a multimillion-dollar renovation, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is already facing new repairs, and the same contractor that completed the original work has been tapped to fix the damage. Here’s what you need to know about the reflection pool’s repairs in… pic.twitter.com/Y5SdflqdBC
— TIME (@TIME) July 9, 2026
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro alleges that Hearn “forcibly and violently” tore off a section of the pool’s bottom lining on June 19, an accusation that the former athlete’s defense considers “outrageous.”
According to the athlete, he stopped at the reflecting pool during a bicycle ride and touched a piece of the lining that had already come loose out of curiosity, but he denies tearing it off.
Repairing the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial has been a priority for Trump as part of his plan to renovate Washington ahead of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
The reflecting pool, famous as the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963, was restored and painted blue at a cost of US$14 million, exceeding the original estimate, and days later turned green again because of an algae infestation.
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Source: EFE
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