President Donald Trump has spoken repeatedly of his prowess with green lawns since returning to the White House — at some events even spending more time talking about it than the war in Iran, the economy or November's midterm elections.
His gravitation toward grass speaks to Trump's decades as a New York real estate developer and personal love of building things and overseeing construction projects, but also to the amount of time he spends on the golf course and his extensive, second-term efforts to revamp the White House and greater Washington in his own image. Plus, Washington bureau chief Anna Johnson's weekly picks, a look toward this weekend's Hawaii primaries and what I'm reading this week for political book club. |
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President Donald Trump, right, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum tour the East Potomac Park golf course, June 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) |
'I’m very good at grass.' Why Trump goes in the weeds on one of his favorite topics — By Will Weissert
It was on the president's mind just five weeks after his second inauguration, when he pointed out the Oval Office window during an interview with The Spectator. “You see the grass outside, right?” Trump asked before detailing his plans to pave over much of it. “Some people would like to leave it. But the problem is, you can’t." Trump has kept on the topic constantly ever since, saying as recently as Monday at a White House event with military spouses: “Grass is like humans. It has a life.”
All told, he's mentioned grass in at least 45 public events or interviews over the past 18 months — or at least once every 12 days. That doesn't include the numerous social media posts that Trump has also made on the topic.
The White House declined to comment. But Trump has made clear where his interest in — and knowledge of — grass comes from.
“I know a lot about grass because I own a lot of golf courses," he said while announcing the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors last August. "And, if you don’t have good grass, you’re not in business very long.”
A week later, while visiting park police officers in Washington, the president declared, “I know more about grass than any human being, I think, anywhere in the world.”
Trump frequently touts his Washington overhaul and Rose Garden patio
Matt Koch, the lawns research fellow for gardening giant Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, met recently with the president to discuss planting new grass on the White House’s South Lawn. He proudly considers himself a “grass nerd” and came away convinced Trump is an honorary one. Read more from Weissert about one of Trump's favorite topics. |
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Murkowski says she'll oppose Blanche's nomination as attorney general |
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, arrives for a closed-door Republican meeting, at the Capitol in Washington, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) |
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she will oppose Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general — By Bill Barrow
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, narrowing the confirmation path for Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department.
The Alaska senator said in a statement that she is concerned the Trump administration could proceed with its proposed fund to compensate Jan. 6 rioters even though Blanche has pledged to shelve the idea.
Murkowski said the Senate has leverage over the fund, which the Republican senator wants, only because Blanche’s nomination is pending. That leverage would be gone if he is confirmed, she said.
Blanche won over the Senate Judiciary Committee in a 12-10 vote only because he promised Republican holdouts that he would not pursue the payout fund.
Read more from Barrow about Murkowski's opposition to Blanche. |
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AP Elections Spotlight: Trouble in paradise |
Palm trees frame the Hawaii State Capitol, April 23, 2025, in Honolulu, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin) |
Hawaii will hold a primary on Saturday in the shadow of an ongoing corruption scandal involving a top elected official. Meanwhile, a Democratic member of Congress who made waves by supporting one of Trump’s signature issues faces a strong primary challenge.
A new No. 2: Five Democrats and four Republicans are jockeying to replace embattled Democratic Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who pleaded not guilty in July to bribery charges stemming from her 2022 campaign. Luke is on an unpaid leave of absence, prompting Democratic Gov. Josh Green to appoint a temporary replacement. Acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan is not seeking the full-term job.
The contenders: Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami, state Rep. Della Au Belatti and former state Deputy Attorney General John Choi are among those seeking the Democratic nomination. Republican Daniel Anthony was the top spender in the GOP field, but at just $6,900, it’s a fraction of what the leading Democratic candidates have spent.
The resume-builder: Hawaii’s lieutenant governorship has long been a steppingstone to higher office in the state. Green and both current Democratic U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz are just some of the Aloha State luminaries who have previously served as lieutenant governor. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected individually and do not run on the same ticket.
Case sera sera: In the 1st Congressional District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Case faces four primary challengers, including state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole. Case crossed party lines in April 2025 to support the SAVE Act, one of Trump’s legislative priorities, a move Keohokalole has criticized. Case said he supported a version of the bill that included accommodations for people who don’t provide documentation of their citizenship when they register. Since those were axed, he’s voted against the bill.
Blue Hawaii: The 1st Congressional District is heavily Democratic. Case won reelection in 2024 with about 72% of the vote. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris received about 62% of the district vote in the presidential election against Trump. Read more from Robert Yoon about this weekend's votes in Hawaii. |
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Joe Shearer, who was diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries from fighting in Iraq, poses for a portrait in his home in Colorado Springs, Colo., Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert) |
Iran war renews concerns about the lasting toll of traumatic brain injuries to US troops — By Ben Finley and Lauran Neergaard
— Ben and Lauran's story about traumatic brain injuries and U.S. troops is an example of how our team tries to go beyond the headlines to explore important issues and put those impacted at the center of our coverage. The story comes as a Pentagon official recently called the vast majority of injuries to troops over a two-week period in the Middle East “minor concussions.”
The final days of Abdul El-Sayed's primary campaign — By Julia Demaree Nikhinson
— Our team did great work on the ground this week covering the primaries in several states including in Michigan. Julia spent several days on the campaign trail, and you can see a selection of her photos of Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed here. No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized — By Josh Boak
— Josh dives into the latest on the Reflecting Pool for this story that connects Trump's continued false claims that it was vandalized to his approach on other issues including the Iran war and the economy. |
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