Damaged grass on the National Mall is seen from the Washington Monument, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Washington, with the World War II Memorial in the background. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
\n\nWorkers dismantle structures from Salute to America, an Independence Day event honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary, as seen from the Washington Monument, on July 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
\n\nConstruction continues on a helipad on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says vandals are to blame for large swaths of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial — in the spot where he had a stage built and hosted crowds for his July 4 celebration.
\n\nTrump made the accusation in a social media post on Sunday without saying why he believes it’s the work of vandals instead of trampled turf from the Independence Day festivities. The Republican president posted a photo showing a once-grassy area by the World War II Memorial, now patchy and brown across much of the sprawling turf.
\n\n“Look what VANDALS did to the grass connecting the vandalized World War II…
Original source: https://apnews.com/business
