President Donald Trump is pointing to vandals as the cause of large patches of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial — the same stretch of lawn that hosted crowds during his Fourth of July celebration.
Trump made the allegation without presenting evidence or detailing why he believes vandalism is responsible. In a post on Truth Social, he shared a photo of the area near the World War II Memorial showing broad sections of brown, damaged turf in a space that had previously appeared green.
“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 damaged lawn is the same area where Trump had a large stage constructed and where spectators gathered last month for his Independence Day event. Crowds assembled there to hear remarks from the president and watch fireworks marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Images from the celebration show a large bandstand and seating sections spread across much of the lawn Trump now says was targeted by vandals. Photos taken in the days that followed showed crews dismantling the temporary structures, with brown and worn grass visible beneath them. The images indicate that event equipment covered much of the affected area, though they do not independently prove the cause of all the turf damage.
Trump has repeatedly attributed damage tied to renovation projects in Washington, D.C., to vandals, often doing so without offering evidence and at times in ways that conflict with accounts from his own officials.
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Earlier this month, Trump took aim at U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro after her office sought to dismiss a vandalism case. Newly disclosed evidence showed extensive liner damage connected to a flawed installation and a hurried effort to finish the project before Independence Day events, weakening the case against the defendant.
On Friday, an arrest was made in connection with vandalism at the World War II Memorial after the words “Clean hands dirty $” were found painted on the monument and bubbles filled a fountain.
Felony charges in that case are being brought against Melissa Farris, according to Pirro.
Charging documents in that case do not mention the once-grassy area Trump referred to in his new social media post.
Authorities said Farris was previously arrested for camping on federal property a few blocks from the World War II Memorial, but not the spot referenced by Trump.
On Aug. 1, Trump posted a different photo of the same area of dead that appears to show the numbers “86 47,” which federal officials argue is a threat against Trump. The numbers are not visible in the photo Trump shared on Sunday.
Trump cited that image as evidence against Pirro’s conclusion, describing it as “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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
