An Ohio-based lawn care company has pledged $1 million in monetary and product support to restore the South Lawn of the White House following significant damage sustained during a recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event. The fight, held earlier this month to celebrate President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, left the grass heavily damaged, prompting the commitment from ScottsMiracle-Gro, a company led by CEO James Hagedorn, a known Trump supporter.

The White House announced last week that ScottsMiracle-Gro’s donation will fund restoration efforts that include re-sodding the South Lawn and applying a custom turfgrass seed blend created specifically for the site. The company said the blend, which features tall fescues and Kentucky bluegrasses reportedly selected by President Trump himself, is intended exclusively for the White House lawn and will not be commercialized. It remains unclear if the commitment extends to the nearby White House Ellipse, which also suffered extensive damage after the event. Recent aerial images show a large patch of exposed dirt where the Ellipse’s grass once grew.

Typically, the National Park Service manages maintenance of the White House grounds. However, it referred inquiries to the White House, which confirmed that ScottsMiracle-Gro’s donation is private and that no federal funds will be used for the lawn repairs. The arrangement has drawn scrutiny from government watchdog groups. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) questioned the ethics of accepting such private donations, particularly in the context of previous controversies involving no-bid contracts awarded to Trump allies for government projects. CREW spokesperson Jordan Libowitz suggested that corporate donations to the government often come with expectations of favored treatment or influence.

ScottsMiracle-Gro’s association with the controversial herbicide Roundup has also been noted. The company markets a consumer version of Roundup without glyphosate, the chemical at the center of numerous lawsuits alleging links to cancer. Last February, President Trump issued an executive order designating glyphosate as critical to national security, a move that elicited criticism from some of his own supporters.

ScottsMiracle-Gro has distanced itself from commercial interests tied to the government contract. Company spokesman Tom Matthews emphasized that the White House lawn blend is intended solely for government use and denied any conflict of interest. He explained that combined sodding and overseeding was chosen to expedite lawn recovery, as reseeding alone would take weeks to establish.

Organizers of the UFC event anticipated damage to the grounds. UFC CEO Dana White had previously indicated that they allocated $700,000 for lawn replacement. However, White and UFC representatives did not respond to inquiries about whether they remain responsible for any portion of the restoration costs.

The condition of the White House grounds has become a focal point of criticism amid broader concerns about the upkeep of several national landmarks. The damaged lawn and surrounding areas have drawn attention as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. Among critics is chef José Andrés, who publicly lamented the state of the property on social media.

Landscape professionals have observed that the heavy foot traffic and event infrastructure caused the extensive lawn damage. Some experts suggested that constructing protective platforms could have minimized harm to the grass. Steve Mercogliana, director of operations at Four Seasons Total Landscaping, reflected on the visible impact of such events on delicate turf areas, underscoring the scale of the restoration challenge ahead.