Former US Olympian pleads not guilty to damaging reflecting pool amid Trump’s renovation

David Hearn on 9 July 2026 in Washington DC. Photograph: Rod Lamkey/AP View image in fullscreen David Hearn on 9 July 2026 in Washington DC. Photograph: Rod Lamkey/AP Former US Olympian pleads not guilty to damaging reflecting pool amid Trump’s renovation David Hearn is accused of destroying ‘American flag blue’ lining material on the bottom of the reflecting pool David Hearn, a former Olympic canoe racer, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to damaging Washington’s reflecting pool after a $14.7m renovation project. Hearn, a three-time US Olympian, was indicted last week on a single felony count of property destruction. He appeared in local superior court in Washington DC , to enter the plea after he was criminally charged over the incident in mid-June. The conflict revolves around the 2,000ft-long (600-meter) pool, a centerpiece of Washington’s National Mall, which had been refurbished with an “American flag blue” liner at Trump’s request as part of the 250th anniversary celebration of US independence. The multimillion-dollar renovation has been plagued with problems, including a bloom of algae that tinted the water green and pieces of the blue lining peeling off. The former Olympian, 67, ‌is accused of “maliciously” breaking or destroying lining material on the bottom of the reflecting pool on 19 June. Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for Washington DC, claimed last Thursday that prosecutors had “tremendous evidence” that the Olympian had “forcefully and violently” pulled up and removed the bottom liner in the reflecting pool, totaling more than $1,000 in damage. The 67-year-old cyclist denied removing anything from the pool, though he acknowledged that his bike tire may have touched the hose National Park Service workers were using to clear the algae. Hearn’s attorneys have said the charges against him are based on a “concocted narrative” and “should be alarming to every American”. “I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told The Washington Post . “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.” skip past newsletter promotion after newsletter promotion Hearn was released on a personal recognizance bond, and the judge ordered a status hearing for 5 August. Explore more on these topics Trump administration US politics Washington DC news Share Reuse this content