A Republican Senator called out President Donald Trump for what one independent journalist dubbed "blatant reflecting pool lies."
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) appeared on "Meet the Press" Sunday to discuss U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's sudden decision to drop vandalism charges in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool case she promised would be "open and shut."
"The whole thing is a multiple vehicle pile-up," said Kennedy. "The president says it was caused by vandals. I don't know whether he really believes that or if it's part of his political messaging."
That pile-up involves the Justice Department, the White House and the Department of the Interior, all of whom spent the past two days hurling accusations and insults at one another.
Pirro kicked off the dispute by blaming the Interior Department for misleading her prosecutors about when the pool lining began to peel.
In her 20-page court filing Friday, she said there was no evidence that a 67-year-old Olympian canoeist had vandalized the pool — but there was evidence the damage was caused by "flawed installation by the contractor."
Trump then took to Truth Social to condemn Pirro, asserting he didn't know "what she was thinking" and that vandalism was to blame.
"I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro," Trump raged on X. "There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!"
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum backed Trump up and defended his department, writing a scathing rebuke on X.
"Vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool," Burgum wrote. "We won't back down to deranged people who want to destroy, deface, or degrade our monuments."
Kennedy on Sunday expressed regret that Trump had opened his (figurative) mouth at all.
"He exists loudly, and he grows anxious when he has an unexpressed thought," Kennedy said.
The Louisiana Senator then applauded Pirro for withdrawing her case.
"You can't lie to a federal judge," he said. "She was smart to pull it back."
