Trump attributes National Mall turf damage to vandals, not July 4 crowds
Trump blames vandals for dead grass on National Mall, disputing official findings on reflecting pool damage.
President Donald Trump has claimed that vandals are responsible for large areas of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial, the same location where a stage was built for his July 4 celebration. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump shared a photo of the patchy, brown turf and asserted that vandals had damaged the grass, the nearby monument, and the Reflecting Pool, which he said would be reopened "better than ever."
Trump did not provide evidence for his claim, despite the area having hosted a large stage and crowds for the Independence Day event. He has previously blamed vandals for damage to his renovation projects in Washington, D.C., often without evidence and sometimes contradicting his own officials.
The accusation comes after federal authorities announced an arrest in connection with vandalism at the World War II Memorial, where the words "Clean hands dirty $" were found painted on the monument and bubbles filled a fountain. Charging documents in that case do not mention the grassy area Trump is now highlighting.
Officials have also concluded that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was the result of poor construction, not vandalism, a finding Trump has disputed. In an earlier post, he cited numbers "86 47" reportedly visible in the grass as evidence of vandalism, though those numbers are not visible in his latest photo.