'i’m Very Good At Grass.' Why Trump Goes Into The Weeds On One Of His Favorite Topics

WASHINGTON — President Trump will show you: The writer is ever greener connected his broadside of nan fence.

And show you. And show you.

Trump has spoken many times of his prowess pinch greenish lawns since returning to nan White House — astatine immoderate events moreover spending much clip talking astir it than nan warfare successful Iran, nan system aliases November’s midterm elections.

It was connected nan president’s mind conscionable 5 weeks aft his 2nd inauguration, erstwhile he pointed retired nan Oval Office model during an question and reply pinch nan Spectator. “You spot nan writer outside, right?” he asked earlier detailing his plans to pave complete overmuch of it. “Some group would for illustration to time off it. But nan problem is, you can’t.”

Trump has kept connected nan taxable perpetually ever since, saying arsenic precocious arsenic Monday astatine a White House arena pinch subject spouses: “Grass is for illustration humans. It has a life.”

All told, he’s mentioned writer successful astatine slightest 45 nationalist events aliases interviews complete nan past 18 months — aliases astatine slightest erstwhile each 12 days. That doesn’t see his societal media posts connected nan topic.

Trump’s gravitation toward writer whitethorn turn retired of his decades arsenic a New York existent property developer, clip spent connected nan play people and extensive, second-term efforts to revamp nan White House and greater Washington successful his ain image.

The White House didn’t reply questions for this story. But while announcing nan recipients of nan Kennedy Center Honors past August, Trump said: “I cognize a batch astir writer because I ain a batch of play courses. And if you don’t person bully grass, you’re not successful business very long.”

A week later, while visiting parkland constabulary officers successful Washington, nan president said, “I cognize much astir writer than immoderate quality being, I think, anyplace successful nan world.”

Matt Koch, nan lawns investigation chap for farming elephantine Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, met precocious pinch nan president to talk planting caller writer connected nan White House’s South Lawn. He proudly considers himself a “grass nerd” and came distant convinced Trump is an honorary one.

“An astonishing dialogue, talking writer for half an hour,” Koch said of nan Oval Office discussion. “Going backmost and distant astir grass.”

Trump has managed to bring up writer astatine events arsenic varied arsenic nan signing of an executive bid connected TikTok and nan 2025 White House ceremony of Diwali, nan Hindu show of lights. He mentioned it while pardoning turkeys past Thanksgiving, while addressing nan World Economic Forum successful Switzerland, and while signing a directive connected quantum technology.

In September, while hosting Republican lawmakers for dinner, he pledged of greenish spaces astir Washington, “We’re gonna re-grass them pinch nan champion guys successful nan country.” That aforesaid month, during an arena announcing nan intended renaming of nan Department of Defense, Trump assured attendees, “I’m very bully astatine grass.”

Trump astir often mentions writer while promoting his Washington beautification efforts.

In May, he spent 10 minutes of a Cabinet gathering detailing his efforts to hole fountains and springiness D.C.’s parks and monuments a face-lift — sometimes sounding much for illustration a small-town politician than nan leader of nan free world.

Ironically, nan president brings up nan taxable while defending his decisions to region writer for caller building — for illustration erstwhile he covered nan section adjacent nan White House’s Rose Garden pinch a chromatic patio.

“Problem pinch nan grass, you couldn’t do thing pinch it,” he said during a 2025 Oval Office circuit for hosts of nan “All-In” podcast.

The president besides often recounts that women — including journalists, Cabinet members and management officials — utilized to kick to him astir their precocious heels getting stuck successful nan mud successful nan old, grassy Rose Garden.

“The women would beryllium lifting up their shoes, saying, ‘You’ve destroyed my shoes,’” he said during a luncheon past fall. When hosting nan Los Angeles Dodgers successful July, he relayed that women successful heels “would spell down for illustration quicksand.”

Erecting a UFC octagon to people his 80th day successful June reduced ample swaths of nan South Lawn to dirt. In nan weeks since, crews person been building a sprawling chopper landing pad, meaning moreover much writer has been removed from nan lawn.

Trump said nan helipad was needed because nan new, much powerful fleet of helicopters now being utilized arsenic Marine One tore up nan erstwhile sod.

“When you onshore connected nan grass, it’s not that nan writer gets discolored — it gets ripped out,” he said successful June. Trump moreover described tufts of turf going “all over” and said, “Half of nan writer was sitting successful beforehand of nan Oval Office beforehand door.”

Scotts Miracle-Gro donated $1 cardinal successful monetary and merchandise support to nan National Park Service to reconstruct nan South Lawn aft nan UFC fight, and Trump utilized nan gathering pinch Koch successful June to prime a civilization turfgrass blend of 4 kinds of gangly fescues and 4 Kentucky bluegrasses.

Trump, Koch said, asked good, elaborate questions arsenic he was shown carpet sample-like swaths of each writer variety.

“You tin show he spends a batch of clip connected play courses,” Koch said. “He evidently owns courses, and he knows writer from being astir it.”

Last August, Trump pledged that, aft his administration’s improvements, parks successful Washington will “look for illustration Augusta” — a reference to nan location of nan iconic Masters tournament, wherever aesthetics are truthful important that bags from nan pro shop and nutrient wrappers are greenish truthful that immoderate imaginable litter blends successful pinch nan writer during TV broadcasts.

Weissert writes for nan Associated Press.