WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Sunday that vandals were responsible for broad patches of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial — the same area where a stage was erected and crowds assembled for his July 4 celebration.
Trump leveled the accusation in a social media post but did not explain why he believes the damaged lawn was caused by vandalism rather than heavy foot traffic from the Independence Day event. His post included a photo of the once-green stretch near the World War II Memorial, now visibly brown and worn across much of the open turf.
“Look what VANDALS did to the grass connecting the vandalized World War II Monument and the vandalized Reflecting Pool, which will be opened again, and better than ever, shortly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Anybody who thinks the Reflecting Pool wasn’t vandalized should go back to Law School!” he added.
The claim fits a pattern for Trump, who has repeatedly attributed damage tied to renovation projects in Washington, D.C., to vandals, often without presenting evidence and at times in the face of differing assessments from officials in his own administration. Earlier this month, Trump criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after her office determined that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stemmed from poor construction, not vandalism as Trump had alleged.
On Friday, authorities announced an arrest related to vandalism at the World War II Memorial after the phrase “Clean hands dirty $” was found painted on the monument and bubbles were placed in a fountain. Pirro said felony charges are being brought against Melissa L. Farris.
Court charging documents in that case do not refer to the damaged grass Trump pointed to in his latest post. Officials said Farris had previously been arrested for camping on federal property several blocks from the World War II Memorial, not in the specific area Trump cited.
The lawn in question is the same section of the National Mall where a large stage was constructed and where spectators gathered to hear Trump speak and watch fireworks during a July 4 event marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump asserted, without offering evidence, that more than 400,000 people attended before a storm swept through the area and delayed his remarks.
Photos from the time, taken by a streaming webcam atop the Washington Monument, show a large bandstand and seating areas covering nearly the entire lawn Trump now says has been vandalized. Associated Press photos from the days that followed showed workers removing the structures, revealing brown, damaged grass underneath.
On Aug. 1, Trump posted a different photo of the same area that appears to show the numbers “86 47” — which federal officials have said constitutes a threat against Trump — emblazoned into the grass. He cited it as evidence refuting Pirro’s conclusion, calling it “a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass.”
“There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!” he wrote.
Those numbers are not visible in the photo Trump posted to social media on Sunday.
