EXCLUSIVE: Trump's Reflecting Pool Fight Escalates as Preservation Group Claims DOJ Filing Undercuts Vandalism Claims
President Donald Trump remains at the center of a legal battle over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after plaintiffs cited a recent DOJ filing to bolster their case.
Aug. 5 2026, Published 5:41 p.m. ET
The legal battle over President Donald Trump's controversial Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation has taken another turn after the plaintiffs behind the lawsuit argued the Department of Justice's recent reversal in the David Hearn case undercuts the government's previous claims that vandalism caused the damage, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
In newly filed court documents exclusively obtained by Radar, The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a reply Tuesday asking a federal judge to grant limited expedited discovery to preserve evidence at the Reflecting Pool before additional repairs are completed, arguing the DOJ's recent filing strengthens its request.
DOJ Filing Challenges Vandalism Narrative
President Donald Trump's administration continues to face legal challenges over the controversial The Reflecting Pool renovation project.
According to the filing, plaintiffs pointed to the Justice Department's recent motion to dismiss charges against former Olympian David Hearn, in which prosecutors said new evidence showed the Reflecting Pool's damage was likely caused by a rushed and botched installation rather than intentional vandalism.
The plaintiffs argued the DOJ's filing directly contradicts earlier representations made by Interior Department officials about what caused the damage.
They also highlighted the government's acknowledgment that Interior officials provided "less than fulsome information" regarding the project, contending those developments make it even more important to preserve evidence before additional work changes the condition of the Reflecting Pool.
"The damage [to the Reflecting Pool] was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented," the filing states while citing the DOJ's recent motion.
Plaintiffs argued they are not seeking broad discovery, but instead, a limited opportunity to document the current condition of the Reflecting Pool before evidence is permanently altered.
Court Fight Continues Escalating
Plaintiffs argue the current condition of The Reflecting Pool should be documented before additional repairs.
The latest filing comes after government attorneys opposed the request, arguing the lawsuit falls under the Administrative Procedure Act, where discovery is generally prohibited.
Government lawyers also maintained that the current condition of the Reflecting Pool has no bearing on agency decisions made earlier this year and urged the court to deny plaintiffs' request.
Plaintiffs fired back, arguing the case has changed dramatically following the DOJ's recent findings.
Preservation Fight Rolls On
Former Olympian David Hearn's dismissed criminal case is now being cited in the ongoing civil fight.
Plaintiffs said the government's evolving explanation for the damage raises legitimate questions about earlier statements made to the court and further supports preserving evidence before additional repairs are completed.
The filing marks the latest chapter in the legal fight over the Reflecting Pool renovation, which Radar has closely followed in recent months.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation previously sued to halt the Trump administration's renovation project, claiming the work threatened one of the nation’s most recognizable historic landmarks.
DOJ Reversal Reshapes Lawsuit
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TCLF is asking a federal judge for limited access to preserve evidence at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
More recently, the dispute gained renewed attention after prosecutors abandoned the criminal case against Hearn, concluding newly uncovered evidence pointed to installation failures rather than vandalism.
Now, plaintiffs are using that same DOJ filing to bolster their civil lawsuit, arguing it supports their request to preserve evidence as the broader legal battle over the Reflecting Pool continues.
