The top federal prosecutor in Washington has declined to rule out criminal charges against ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl for his actions during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday, June 19, 2026, where he pulled at loose paint during a televised segment about the troubled renovation. President Donald Trump escalated his ongoing feud with the network Monday evening by threatening to sue ABC News over its coverage of the pool controversy.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro addressed the controversy during a Fox News interview that aired Sunday, when anchor Peter Doocy asked whether Karl could face legal trouble for his actions at the pool. “Anyone who is in position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize the Reflecting Pool will face the criminal justice system in D.C.,” Pirro said, adding that citations had already been issued and that those cases would be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
President Threatens Another Lawsuit
Trump capped a Truth Social post with a jab that he enjoys the network’s money and that any future settlement would go directly to the U.S. Treasury. ABC News previously paid Trump $15 million — plus an additional $1 million in legal fees — to settle a defamation suit stemming from anchor George Stephanopoulos’ on-air comments about the E. Jean Carroll sexual assault case.
Trump has also filed suits against the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, and The New York Times in the last year alone. He had also taken aim at Karl back in April over Karl’s book, “Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America,” using that occasion as yet another opportunity to brand the network as fake news.
Federal Prosecutor Says Charges Possible
Pirro went on to say that if substances were introduced into the pool to worsen the algae situation, prosecutors would consider more serious charges. She emphasized that beautifying Washington is a stated priority of the administration and that anyone found damaging landmarks like the Reflecting Pool faces real legal consequences.
The Interior Department has confirmed that 14 police reports have been filed in connection with vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, including the specific incident Trump described in his Truth Social post. Five people have been arrested and five others received federal citations. An Interior Department spokesperson said U.S. Park Police remain committed to upholding law and order in the nation’s capital.
What Karl Did at the Pool
In an ABC News segment on Thursday, June 18, Karl visited the Reflecting Pool and pulled at a loose chunk of paint to demonstrate problems with the approximately $16 million renovation project, which Trump had declared finished on June 6. In a June 19 post on Truth Social, Trump called Karl a “Lightweight ABC Reporter” and accused him of “sticking his hand into the Pool, and trying to rip the rubber off of the surface.” Trump disputed the network’s framing, insisting the pool’s problems stem from deliberate vandalism rather than any failure of the renovation itself.
Trump himself provided no evidence of vandalism when he doubled down on those claims Monday evening.
Renovation Already Plagued by Issues
The renovated pool had already attracted plenty of unwanted attention. Shortly after it was refilled — painted a color Trump himself described as “American flag blue” — the water turned green due to an algae bloom that some experts said the new paint may have worsened. Workers from the National Park Service were subsequently spotted treating the water with hydrogen peroxide in an effort to control the growth. Around the same time, sections of paint became visibly loose and began peeling away.
In a separate Truth Social post Monday evening, Trump accused the outlet of failing to inform viewers that Barack Obama and Joe Biden spent over $100 million on the Reflecting Pool during their tenures, with the site rarely opening due to leaks and what Trump described as a persistent “stench.” He claimed they had sought between $300 to 400 million for further work, but ultimately let the pool deteriorate. By contrast, Trump said his administration completed a far more expansive renovation — covering the outer areas and sidewalks as well — for approximately $16 million.
The Reflecting Pool sits at the heart of several capital beautification projects Trump has championed ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, making its troubled post-renovation condition an especially sensitive subject for the administration. Whether Karl ultimately faces any charges remains to be seen, but with Pirro keeping that possibility firmly on the table, the dispute between the White House and ABC News shows no sign of cooling down anytime soon.
