U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro suggested that ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl could be among those charged for alleged vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
President Donald J. Trump’s $14 million overhaul of the iconic Washington, D.C. landmark with “American flag blue” painting to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary has been beset with problems, as a seasonal algae bloom and people ripping off pieces of the distinctive lining will likely result in the pool having to be drained for repairs.
Karl is one of those who appeared to tear off a chunk of the blue lining in a video report last week, angering the president, who named the reporter in a Truth Social post in which he railed against the vandals.
ABC News’ Jonathan Karl reports from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool where workers continue to battle algae – and the new paint job appears to be falling apart.
The Department of Interior did not immediately respond to a request for comment. https://t.co/7TzBngVdyc pic.twitter.com/cBGbThipua
— ABC News (@ABC) June 18, 2026
Pirro appeared on “The Sunday Briefing” on Fox News, where she was asked by co-anchor and senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy about Karl during a discussion about prosecuting those who have been accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool.
Doocy referenced Trump’s post calling out the “lightweight ABC reporter” to somewhat jokingly pose the question to his former network colleague about whether Karl may face charges.
“President Trump’s got a crime stoppers tip for you,” he said. “He says, ‘lightweight ABC reporter Jonathan Karl was seen sticking his hand into the pool and trying to rip the rubber off the surface.’ Judge, is Jonathan Karl from ABC in trouble?”
Doocy: Is Jonathan Karl in trouble?
Pirro: Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize the reflecting pool will face the criminal justice system. There are several citations that have been handed out individuals, and these are cases that will be… pic.twitter.com/T6N39RiEiK
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 21, 2026
“Well, you know, it depends,” Pirro responded. “Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing, or attempting to vandalize, the Reflecting Pool will face the criminal justice system in D.C.”
“Look, the president has made it a priority to make D. C. not only safe but beautiful,” she continued. “And there are several citations that have been handed out to individuals. And these are cases that will be prosecuted to the full extent. If there are more serious products that are put into the reflecting pool to create more algae or a bigger problem, then we’ll consider more serious charges.”
“But make no mistake, making D.C. beautiful is a priority. And if you damage, vandalize, or do anything to impact something like the Reflecting Pool, you can be prosecuted,” Pirro said, leaving the door open to potential charges against the ABC News reporter.
Among the “multiple arrests” of alleged vandals was former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn, who was taken into custody on Friday after he stopped at the pool during a bike ride and reached into the water. Hearn said that he was only checking it out, but his arrest shows how serious the threat of vandalism has become.
“I had no idea I was about to be arrested,” he said, according to ABC News. “They didn’t say they were charging me, but they did start to handcuff me. They did not ever read me my rights. They did not allow me any phone calls for the ensuing five hours, and they did not detail the charges that were going to be leveled against me.”
Trump said in a weekend Truth Social post that the Reflecting Pool will “probably” need to be temporarily drained for repairs and added that the “terrible vandals” will face consequences.
“Many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool. It hasn’t looked or worked like this since 1922, when it was originally built, but even then, it leaked badly, and didn’t work,” the president wrote. “Ours worked perfectly, including the mirror like finish, perfectly reflecting the two Great Monuments, which it never had before! What these terrible Vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and should be dealt with accordingly.”
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