Trump blames vandals for dead grass by July 4 stage on National Mall
What's new: turf experts said the photo looked more consistent with heavy foot traffic and event wear than clear vandalism.
President Donald Trump blamed vandals for broad patches of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial, where he built a stage and drew crowds for his July 4 celebration. In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump pointed to damage on the lawn between the memorial and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, but he offered no evidence for the claim. A Penn State turf professor, John Kaminski, said nothing in the photo clearly showed vandalism and that the scene looked like what can happen after a large summer event. Photos from the celebration and teardown showed bandstands, seating and other infrastructure covering much of the same lawn. The dispute comes days after authorities arrested Melissa L. Farris in a separate vandalism case at the World War II Memorial.