Jimmy Fallon gleefully ridiculed Donald Trump after attempts to bring vandalism charges over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool fell apart.
During Monday night’s edition of The Tonight Show, Fallon took several shots at the 80-year-old president after the Department of Justice dismissed a criminal case against former Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of sabotaging the pool liner in Washington, D.C.
The office of Trump’s handpicked U.S. attorney, Jeanine Pirro, confirmed that the damage to the pool was the result of a “rush to complete” the renovation project ahead of the America 250 celebrations around July 4.
Hearn was one of several people arrested on suspicion of vandalizing the liner of the algae-infested pool, but was the only one charged with felony property destruction. He faced up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the sham charge.
“Trump is upset because his own Justice Department admitted the reflecting pool damage wasn’t caused by vandalism, like he said. It was just a result of shoddy construction work,” Fallon said.
“Trump claimed someone used a knife to quickly cut the pool liner the length of three football fields. I can barely use a knife to cut open my Amazon box.”
Fallon added that a desperate Trump may now move on to draining the water from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and “covering it in green felt and turning it into a reflecting pool table.”
“We might be asking too much of Trump to reopen the Strait of Hormuz when he can’t even reopen the pool in his backyard,” Fallon added.
Pirro attempted to blame the embarrassing saga on the Department of the Interior, claiming that documents showing the damage was the result of a “rushed and flawed installation process,” rather than vandalism, were only made available to her after the indictment against Hearn had been filed.
Hearn visited the reflecting pool on June 19 and was seen briefly dipping his hand into the water. Department of the Interior documents also revealed that the liner had already been damaged before Hearn visited the pool.
Trump has repeatedly raged at Pirro for dropping the vandalism charge, including accusing her of “folding like an umbrella” in the Oval Office on Monday. The president also suggested Pirro, a former Fox News host, had “choked” because the judge overseeing the case was “really vicious.”
It has been reported that Trump is considering removing Pirro as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia because he is so “furious” with her.
