A CNN political analyst expressed surprise Aug. 6, 2026, at how President Donald Trump responded when asked if he would keep U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro in her position. New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman said the president’s visible frustration and non-answer left her stunned.
The question came Aug. 5, as Trump spoke with reporters outside Air Force One. When asked if Pirro’s job as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia was secure following the dismissal of a vandalism prosecution, the president replied: “Uh, I haven’t made a determination.”
That refusal to offer support followed Trump’s earlier public criticism of Pirro for dropping felony charges against David Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool. On Monday, August 3, Trump said at an Oval Office news conference that Pirro “choked” and “folded like a cheap umbrella,” while directing much of his anger at the judge in the case, to D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman. “The judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine, and frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious,” Trump said.
Haberman Describes a Visibly Angry President
Speaking on CNN’s “The Source,” Haberman said Trump appeared angry during the roughly eight-minute exchange beneath the aircraft’s wing. Host Kaitlan Collins remarked that leaving open the possibility of dismissing Pirro was extraordinary.
Haberman agreed and said the president’s body language, even in poor lighting with restricted reporter access, conveyed unmistakable irritation. She confirmed his displeasure was aimed squarely at Pirro. Though Trump attempted to soften his criticism the next day, Haberman suggested the damage was already done and the impression impossible to undo.
The Reflecting Pool Prosecution
Hearn was indicted by a grand jury on a felony charge of destroying property, which carried up to 10 years in prison, following a report from a National Park Service employee who observed him tugging at the liner of the newly renovated pool in late June. According to prosecutors, he “forcefully and violently” pulled up a section of the bottom coating with both hands, causing over $1,000 in damage. Hearn maintained he merely touched a piece of the “American Flag Blue” surface that was already coming loose.
The pool had been resealed in preparation for the nation’s 250th-anniversary events. After the new coating started peeling, Trump publicly blamed vandals for the deterioration.
On July 31, Pirro filed a motion to dismiss the case. In a 20-page document, she reversed the government’s position, stating that the damage “was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism.”
An Uncertain Future for Pirro
Trump’s public criticism of a prosecutor he appointed has left Pirro’s job security in doubt. His comments have alternated between direct rebuke and deliberate vagueness, sharp enough to communicate dissatisfaction but ambiguous enough to avoid announcing any decision.
The controversy arrives at a sensitive time for Pirro. The case attracted significant interest because of its National Mall location and the serious nature of the allegations. Though her filing attributed the pool damage to installation errors rather than criminal acts, it did not insulate her from presidential ire.
Haberman’s background covering Trump is extensive. She previously worked as a reporter covering City Hall for the New York Daily News, reported on the 2008 presidential campaign and other elections for the New York Post, and served as a senior reporter at Politico. In 2018, she and her New York Times colleagues received the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for their coverage of the Trump administration, and also earned the Aldo Beckman Award from the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Whether Trump intends to remove Pirro from her post remains unclear. The president has not announced a timeline for any decision, and his refusal to provide clarity has only amplified speculation. For journalists like Haberman, the moment offered a rare window into a president openly at odds with his own appointee, unconcerned about the cameras documenting his displeasure.
The tension is unlikely to dissipate soon. By declining to rule out Pirro’s dismissal, Trump has guaranteed that the question will persist regardless of how he addresses it going forward.
