Trump blames ‘vandals’ as striking before-and-after photos reveal battered White House and DC lawns

Before the July 4 extravaganza, the expansive lawn between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial was largely green, with the Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial forming an immaculate backdrop. Photos show just how dramatically the space was transformed for America’s 250th birthday. A giant stage was erected directly in front of the World War II Memorial, while a vast temporary surface covered much of the lawn toward the Washington Monument. Rectangular patterns are visible across portions of the lawn, creating a striking contrast with the lush landscape. Turf experts have reportedly pointed to a combination of event infrastructure, crowds and extreme heat as plausible contributors to the deterioration.

The White House South Lawn was almost picture-perfect: a broad carpet of striped green turf stretching from the South Portico toward the fountain. Now, though, much of the grass closest to the White House has disappeared, exposing large stretches of bare earth while machinery and construction equipment occupy the site. Sections of newly laid or preserved turf remain visible farther down the lawn. The transformation followed UFC Freedom 250, Trump’s unprecedented June 14 fight night on the White House grounds. The temporary arena covered nearly the entire South Lawn and seated more than 4,000 spectators, while the wider event drew enormous crowds to the neighboring Ellipse.

Not all of the discoloration visible in these photographs can necessarily be traced to a single event. Washington experienced intense summer heat, and different sections of the landscape hosted different Freedom 250 activities. Taken together, though, the aerial images provide a striking record of the physical footprint left by a summer in which some of America's most recognizable lawns became stages for unusually large presidential celebrations. UFC Freedom 250 alone was an enormous undertaking. The National Park Service said more than $60 million and tens of thousands of labor hours went into building its temporary arena, with UFC covering the costs associated with the event while government agencies also committed resources and manpower.

President Donald Trump has blamed “vandals” for turning a once-lush stretch of the National Mall into a patchwork of dead, brown grass: “Look what VANDALS did to the grass connecting the vandalized World War II Monument and the vandalized Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, sharing a photo of the damaged turf near the World War II Memorial. Trump did not provide evidence that vandals caused the widespread grass damage.

For the White House South Lawn, at least, the comeback plan was already in place. ScottsMiracle-Gro pledged $1 million in monetary and product support to the National Park Service for restoration following UFC Freedom 250. Even as crews work to bring the battered South Lawn grass back to life, another section of the presidential backyard is undergoing a more permanent transformation. Trump is replacing the traditional grassy Marine One landing area with a circular granite helipad, arguing that the powerful exhaust from the newer presidential helicopters can scorch and tear up the turf. The president says Sikorsky, which manufactures the Marine One helicopters, is donating the new landing pad.