Trump blames vandals for damaged grass in the spot where he held his July 4 celebration
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- President Donald Trump blamed vandals for dead grass on the National Mall, posting a photo of the area near the World War II Memorial.
- Trump's accusation lacked evidence, and a turf professor suggested the damage was consistent with a large summer event.
- Authorities arrested a suspect in connection with vandalism at the World War II Memorial, unrelated to the grass damage.
President Donald Trump has pointed fingers at vandals for the dead grass on the National Mall, specifically in the area where he hosted his July 4 celebration. Trump shared a photo on his Truth Social platform showing patchy, brown turf near the World War II Memorial, attributing the damage to "vandals."
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.
However, Trump's claim lacks concrete evidence. A turf professor from Penn State University, John Kaminski, stated that the photograph does not clearly indicate vandalism. He suggested the damage appears consistent with what one would expect after a large summer event, though he couldn't definitively rule out other causes.
Anybody who thinks the Reflecting Pool wasn't vandalized should go back to Law School!
This accusation follows a pattern of Trump blaming vandals for damage in the nation's capital, sometimes without substantiation and contrary to official accounts. His administration previously clashed with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which Pirro's office attributed to poor construction rather than vandalism.
Nothing in the photograph clearly indicates vandalism. Jumping to that conclusion seems like a fairly large leap, although it is impossible to rule anything in or out.
Meanwhile, authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with separate vandalism at the World War II Memorial itself, where the words "Clean hands dirty $" were painted and a fountain was filled with bubbles. The suspect, Melissa L. Farris, was taken into custody. The National Park Service and Department of the Interior have been contacted for further information regarding the grass damage.
He sounds like every grumpy golfer who's complaining about their golf course and actually has no idea what it takes to maintain it on a day-to-day basis.
Originally published by PBS NewsHour. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.