Molly Jong‑Fast told MS NOW that Jeanine Pirro could be the next senior Trump official to be removed after publicly contradicting the administration about damage to the Reflecting Pool. Pirro dropped the case against David Hearn, saying paint sheeting resulted from a contractor's flawed installation and criticizing the Interior Department's handling of information. Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum publicly disputed her filing, and commentators say the episode underscores tensions between prosecutorial decisions and White House messaging.
MS NOW Panelist Says Jeanine Pirro Could Be Trump's Next High‑Profile Ouster After Reflecting Pool Reversal
Daniel Heuer/REUTERS
An MS NOW panelist warned that Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., could be at risk of removal after publicly contradicting the White House's account of the recent Reflecting Pool damage.
Trump made his frustration with Pirro clear on Saturday. / @realDonaldTrump/ TruthSocial
Journalist Molly Jong‑Fast, a former editor at The Daily Beast, said on Alex Witt Reports that Pirro's decision to drop charges against David Hearn — a former Olympic canoeist accused of vandalizing the pool — amounted to a public break with the administration's preferred narrative.
“Had [the Interior Department] been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment” against Hearn, Pirro’s filing said. / Kylie Cooper/REUTERS
On Friday, Pirro filed to dismiss the case, acknowledging that the sheets of floating paint that appeared after the renovation were caused by a "flawed installation by the contractors." In her filing she also alleged that the Interior Department had "failed to fully and accurately provide" certain information to prosecutors before charges were brought against Hearn.
“Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism,” Pirro wrote in her motion to the court. / Aaron Schwartz / REUTERS
"Trump operates on this sort of 'Earth 2' scenario where things are as he says they are," Jong‑Fast said on air. "We saw this with Kristi Noem, where you can only shift reality so much."
Jong‑Fast noted Pirro's national profile as a former television host and suggested that her appointment reflected the president's preference for familiar media personalities. "Part of being in this administration—especially for women—is appearing in a way that pleases Donald Trump," she said, adding that Pirro could face dismissal for contradicting the White House line.
Pirro has made an enemy in the Trump Cabinet. / Sec. Doug Burgum on X
Pirro did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
President Trump reacted on Truth Social, writing: "I don't know what she was thinking? There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!"
Pirro's motion to dismiss also singled out the Interior Department and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Burgum pushed back on X, writing that the department "provided the U.S. Attorney's office expert and eyewitness testimony to the damage done by vandals and provided every piece of evidence they asked for in the requested timeline detailing each area of damage at the pool."
Commentators pointed to a broader pattern of high‑profile departures and disputes in the administration's second term, noting that several recent exits involved women. Observers say the episode highlights tensions between law enforcement discretion, agency coordination and political messaging.
What to watch next: Whether the White House responds administratively to Pirro's filing, and whether her decision prompts further scrutiny of the handling and communication of evidence in the Reflecting Pool investigation.
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