Trump Attributes National Mall Lawn Damage to Vandals

President Donald Trump attributed the patches of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial to vandals. The area where Trump had a stage constructed for his July 4 celebration is now notably patchy and brown. Trump made these claims in a social media post, though he didn’t provide a reason for why he believes vandalism is responsible rather than damage from the event itself.

Trump shared a photo showing the affected area and remarked, “Look what VANDALS did to the grass connecting the vandalized World War II Monument and the vandalized Reflecting Pool.” He further commented, “Anybody who thinks the Reflecting Pool wasn’t vandalized should go back to Law School!”

Trump has previously blamed vandals for damage to his projects in Washington, D.C., but has often done so without substantial evidence. Earlier this month, he criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after her office attributed damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to poor construction, contradicting Trump’s claims of vandalism.

Authorities recently arrested Melissa L. Farris in connection with vandalism at the World War II Memorial, which included graffiti and soap bubbles in a fountain. Felony charges are pending, but this case did not mention the grassy area Trump referred to in his claims. That spot had hosted a stage and large crowd during the Independence Day event.

Trump alleged over 400,000 people attended the event before a storm caused delays. Photos from the time show a considerable setup that covered much of the lawn Trump now claims was vandalized. Later images revealed the damaged grass after the structures were dismantled.

On August 1, Trump shared another picture suggesting the numbers “86 47” were imprinted into the grass, which federal officials regard as a threat against Trump. He argued this number supported his vandalism claims. However, these numbers were absent from the image he posted most recently.