Trump blames vandals for damaged grass at July 4 event site

Trump made the accusation on his Truth Social platform, posting a photo of the damaged turf and stating, “Look what VANDALS did to the grass connecting the vandalized World War II Monument and the vandalized Reflecting Pool.” He did not provide evidence to support his claim of vandalism over trampled turf from the festivities.

This is not the first time Trump has blamed vandals for damage to national monuments or projects, often without evidence. His office previously clashed with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office, which concluded that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was due to poor construction, not vandalism.

Authorities recently announced an arrest in connection with vandalism at the World War II Memorial, where the words “Clean hands dirty $” were painted on the monument and a fountain was filled with bubbles. Pirro stated that felony charges are being brought against Melissa L. Farris in that case. However, the charging documents do not mention the grassy area Trump is now highlighting.

Photos from the July 4 event show a large bandstand and seating covering nearly the entire lawn. Images taken in the days following the celebration depicted workers removing these structures, revealing brown, damaged grass underneath. Trump had previously claimed that numbers emblazoned into the grass were evidence of vandalism, refuting conclusions of contractor difficulty.