WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump intensified his claims of vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool this week, drawing an unusual public rebuke from within his own party as the Justice Department moved to drop its criminal prosecution in the case.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. questioned the basis of Trump's assertions without directly disputing them. "He exists loudly" and "grows anxious when he has an unexpressed thought," Kennedy said. "I don't know whether he really believes that, or it's part of his political messaging, or he's just thinking out loud."
The Justice Department dropped its criminal prosecution tied to the alleged incident on July 31. The department did not offer public comment on its reasoning.
Trump also pressed Senate Republicans this week on the nomination of "Blanche," though details of that push remained unclear.
Kennedy's remarks signal a segment of the Republican Party struggling to respond to Trump's more unconventional public statements — not by challenging him directly, but by leaving his credibility an open question.
