Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn's legal team is pushing back hard against allegations he vandalized the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ... insisting his arrest was completely unwarranted and is being used as a distraction from the botched renovation.
Hearn's attorneys tell TMZ the allegations don't hold water, saying ..."Treating ordinary conduct as criminal diverts attention from the real questions of how this project was managed, including its corrupt no-bid contracting process."
The former athlete's lawyers took a swipe at President Trump too ... "Using the criminal justice system to target innocent people as a form of distraction is textbook authoritarian behavior."
Rep. TroyNehlssays anyone caught vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool should be thrown in prison and forced to sell off their possessions to pay for another refurbishment ... and if they have dogs, well tough luck, the pooches will being taken too!!!
Charliecaught up with the Texas Congressman on Capitol Hill and he unloaded on the folks he believes are responsible for the Reflecting Pool falling apart ... and -- spoiler alert -- it's not the people who won a no-bid contract to do the pricey reno.
Rep. Nehls says prison time isn't enough for these vandals ... and he lays out a punishment plan that's guaranteed to raise some eyebrows.
The Republican repeatedly defended the restoration project and blamed folks with Trump derangement syndrome for ruining the "beautiful" Pool ... and he even took political swipes at the algae.
President Trump's explanation for fresh damage at the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool isn't holding water ... 'cause two pool experts tell TMZ this doesn't look like the work of vandals.
Take the plunge and watch our "TMZ Live" debate ... an anonymous pool surfacing expert and veteran pool consultant Rudy Stankowitz joined us to break down what they believe really caused the mess ... and both say the problem likely started during construction.
Trump says vandalsare to blame ... but both experts told us the problem looks self-inflicted. They pointed to installation issues -- not sabotage -- as the likely cause.
Donald Trumpsays the Parks Department has evidence someone gashed the new liner in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with a knife ... but taking Trump at his word and finding said evidence is a wild goose duck chase ... as our own Jacobis quickly finding out.
POTUS referred reporters to the Parks Department when he was being peppered with questions Monday about what evidence he has that vandals are to blame for a 300-foot gash in the Pool liner ... so Jacob called the Parks Department today, and when he struck out, he showed up on their doorstep.
Check out Jacob's clip ... he explains all the hoops he's been jumping through to follow up with Trump's claims ... which are falling apart faster than the Pool renovation.
President Trump looks like he's trying catch those pesky pool vandals with some fancy new technology ... because new A.I. surveillance systems were just installed at the the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Our Charlie Cotton noticed these new A.I. security cameras being wheeled over to the Reflecting Pool on Monday -- the same day Trump claimed vandals carved a 300-foot long gash into the brand new Pool liner -- and when Charlie returned Tuesday, the surveillance systems were installed and running ... keeping a watchful eye over the Pool.
This is more than just an eye in the sky ... this A.I. features real-time tracking, intrusion detection, HD monitoring, strobe lights, automated spotlights and loud, talk-down horn speaker.
Ducks who live near President Trump's White House might want to think about flying south for the summer ... because two more ducks were found dead in a pond on the National Mall amid the ongoing Reflecting Pool disaster.
If you can stomach another photo of a dead duck, this one was taken Sunday afternoon and is even more upsetting.
The bird was pulled out of the water and left on the walkway, covered in plant matter and what looks like green slime, which can only mean one thing -- algae.
The carcass was found at Constitution Gardens, about 250 feet from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ... where a duckling was previously found dead following a botched $16 million renovation and algae attack.
"The Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Kelly Dodd says her connection to Trump donor and Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool contractor John J. Cafaro starts and ends with one thing ... she thought the guy looked like a villain.
Kelly tells TMZ she has no personal relationship with Cafaro whatsoever ... despite a December 2025 photo showing the two together at Trump National Golf Club in Florida.
Check out the pic ... Cafaro looks like Ron Burgundy in a red blazer with a big ol' cigar hanging from his mouth ... and Kelly says that's exactly what caught her eye.
According to Kelly, she was attending an event with husband RickLeventhalalongside Newsmax executives, President Donald Trumpand Rudy Giulianiwhen she spotted Cafaro and asked to take a photo with him.
When Donald Trump said he was going to drain the swamp ... this probably wasn't what he had in mind.
Trump says the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool may have to be drained in order to repair a massive slit in the brand new liner ... a cut he claims was made by vandals armed with box cutters.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is literally under the microscope ... and TMZ DCspotted signs it's passing one scientific test ... at least as it relates to algae.
Check out the video ... workers spent time Monday roaming the perimeter of the landmark with glass jars attached to long poles ... scooping up water samples and bringing them back to shore for analysis. After each test, one of the workers recorded results on a data sheet.
We zoomed in on the paperwork and snapped photos of the results ... and, it seems the algae readings are mostly low.
It looks like algae levels were graded on a scale from 0-5, with zero meaning little algae. Most readings are 0s and 1s, but one result appears to be higher ... check the photos and judge for yourself.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is quickly turning into the Lincoln Memorial Arresting Pool ... TMZ DC witnessed the latest bust firsthand, and the guy who got led off in cuffs gave us a piece of his mind.
Check out the video ... Jacob hustled over to ask the detainee why he was in handcuffs ... and he told us why an out-of-state law enforcement agency's presence set him off.
The Reflecting Pool is the center of a growing controversy in D.C. and we've already seen law enforcement take action against a couple people today ... including this man, who was led away by US Park Police.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is getting treated like the Mona Lisa these days ... and one woman got a ticket to prove it.
Check out the footage Charliecaptured Monday ... a woman is seen dipping her hand into the newly renovated Pool before drawing the attention of cops, National Guard troops, and U.S. Marshals, who surround her and begin questioning her near the water's edge.
The woman is eventually escorted away from the Pool ... she was issued a citation, but was then free to walk away.
The only quacks that prospered from the new Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are the ones who installed it, because duck life really sucks now.
When you dive into the before and after, it's no wonder at least one of the flock is already a dead duck. The algae is everywhere. Even though the before pic is kinda gnarly, it was like paradise compared to the new and less improved.
The algae could be the dreaded cyanobacteria, which are extremely toxic to animals that skim the pool.
President Donald Trump says work is already underway to repair what he described as a heavily vandalized Reflecting Pool after he reportedly personally inspected the damage.
Trump took to Truth Social to share his reaction after visiting the site, saying he was stunned by what he saw. Trump wrote. "I just inspected it, and could only say to myself, and those gathered around me, WOW, who would do such a thing? SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE! We will fix it!"
He says ... "Work will begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool." The president didn't provide details about the nature of the damage or identify who may be responsible, but his post made clear he believes the vandalism was intentional and significant enough to warrant immediate repairs.
Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn is in hot water with the law -- and President Trump -- after getting arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to a new report.
Hearn -- a three-time U.S. Olympian who competed in the canoe slalom -- stopped while on a 52-mile bike ride to take a look at the Reflecting Pool after its recent $14 Million renovation that was championed by Trump, The Washington Post reports.
The 67-year-old Hearn told the publication that all he did was reach into the water and touch a piece of partially detached pool liner to see what it felt like.
President Trump's overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool isn't exactly making a splash for the right reasons ... 'cause the revamped landmark is already battling algae and signs of wear and tear.
Trump previously told reporters he personally selected the sealant color -- dubbed "American Flag Blue" -- but just days after water was pumped back into the pool, a layer of green algae started making itself at home.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior told CBS News the algae bloom was simply "part of the normal startup process" and would be cleaned up quickly. And to their credit, crews got to work.
President Trump's plan to host a UFC fight card at the White House is getting hit with a legal haymaker ... because a new federal lawsuit is trying to stop the event before anyone steps into the Octagon.
According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, two Virginia residents are suing the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior over "UFC Freedom 250" -- the June 14 event slated for the White House South Lawn.
The plaintiffs claim the card is less about celebrating America's 250th birthday and more about giving some of Trump's closest allies -- including UFC boss Dana White-- a massive platform at some of the country's most iconic landmarks as The Lincoln Memorial is scheduled to host ceremonial weigh-ins for fighters before the event.
