President Donald Trump has spoken out against the vandalism that has left large sections of the grass dead on the National Mall, particularly near the World War II Memorial. This area, remember, is where he previously addressed crowds during the Fourth of July celebrations.
In his remarks, Trump didn’t back up his accusations with any evidence, nor did he clarify why he believes vandals were responsible for the damage to the lawn. He posted a photo of the memorial area, showcasing patches of brown grass that were once vibrant and green.
“Look at what the vandals have done to the lawn connecting the damaged World War II Memorial and the Reflecting Pool,” Trump shared on Truth Social. He added, “Soon, the pool will be open again and better than ever.”
He didn’t hold back, stating, “Anyone who thinks the reflecting pool wasn’t destroyed should go back to law school!” It’s interesting because, just last month, he had set up a grand stage for the Fourth of July event right on that same lawn where he’s now claiming vandalism has caused the damage. During those celebrations, many gathered to listen to him speak and enjoy the fireworks in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Images from the event show a large structure occupying a significant part of the lawn that Trump attributes the damage to. Later, with workers dismantling the setup, they revealed the unhealthy brown grass underneath. While it’s clear that the infrastructure from the event occupied a considerable portion of the area, it’s uncertain whether that alone accounts for the broader damage to the lawn.
In fact, this isn’t the first time Trump has laid blame on vandals for damages related to renovation work in D.C., often doing so without evidence and sometimes contradicting official findings.
Earlier this month, he took aim at Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, after her office chose to drop a vandalism lawsuit. New evidence pointed to significant damage to infrastructure that undermined the case against those involved, highlighting issues with defective equipment and a hurried effort to complete renovations before the Fourth of July festivities.
On a related note, last Friday, there was an arrest tied to vandalism at a monument where someone had painted “Dirty Hands $” on a World War II monument, and a fountain there was found filled with foam. Pirro confirmed that a felony charge was filed against Melissa Farris in this case.
However, the charging documents do not refer to the grassy area that Trump mentioned in his recent social media commentary.
Interestingly, Farris had previously been arrested for camping on federal land a few blocks away from the World War II memorial, yet not by the site specified by Trump.
On August 1, Trump shared another photo involving a deceased individual featuring numbers that federal officials believe could be a threat to him. Strangely, the numbers were not visible in the image he posted on Sunday.
Trump pointed to that image as proof to dispute Pirro’s conclusions, labeling the situation “a case of pure vandalism, including the grass.”
“It may have been due to the contractor’s convenience, but the major damage was caused by the vandals!” he emphasized.
