Trump blames vandals for damaged grass near Reflecting Pool amid DOJ clash

WASHINGTON, DC: As Donald Trump continues clashing with his own Department of Justice over the decision to drop the Reflecting Pool vandalism charge, the President has made another claim about damage near the landmark.

The 80-year-old President, on Sunday, August 16, claimed that vandals were to blame for large swaths of dead grass connecting the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, in the same spot where Trump had a stage built and hosted crowds for his July 4 celebration.

This came as reports suggested that the White House had been asking the Department of Justice to weigh new charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool.

Trump blames vandals for dead grass near Reflecting Pool

Days after acknowledging that there was "no video or proof" of alleged vandalism, Trump took to his Truth Social account to share a photo showing a once-grassy area by the World War II Memorial, now patchy and brown across much of the sprawling turf.

“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," he alleged in the caption.

In what many believe to be an attack on his US Attorney Jeanine, the President further added that "Anybody who thinks the Reflecting Pool wasn't vandalized should go back to Law School!"

Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for damage to his renovation projects in Washington, often without providing evidence and, at times, despite conflicting accounts from officials in his own administration.

Earlier this month, he also lashed out at Pirro after her office determined that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stemmed from poor construction rather than vandalism, contradicting Trump's claims.

On August 1, Trump shared another photo of the same area that appeared to show the numbers "86 47" etched into the grass. Federal officials have described the markings as a threat against Trump.

He cited it as evidence refuting Pirro's conclusion, calling it "a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass." "There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!" he wrote.

However, those numbers were not visible in the new image shared by Trump.

Trump links World War II Memorial vandalism to Reflecting Pool dispute

Trump's latest grass vandalism claims came after he announced that an investigation had been launched to arrest vandals who spray-painted the World War II Memorial in Washington with neon orange graffiti.

On Friday, the White House posted photos on X that showed orange, pink, and green graffiti sprayed throughout the World War II Memorial and thick layers of bubbles around the fountain in the center.

The photos posted partially showed a message written in orange graffiti by one of the entrances: "Clean hands Dirty $.”

Tying the painting incident at the memorial to vandalism that damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump said: "Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals."

"THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II. First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from?" he continued.

The World War II Memorial vandalism was a separate incident from the Reflecting Pool dispute. Federal authorities charged a woman in connection with the memorial damage, while the Reflecting Pool case involving former Olympian David Hearn has remained at the center of Trump's dispute with Pirro.