'I’m very good at grass.' Why Trump goes into the weeds on one of his favorite topics

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will tell you: The grass is always greener on his side of the fence. And tell you.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.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.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. He's already far outpaced the 26 times he mentioned grass during the entirety of his first four-year term.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 patioMatt 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.“An amazing dialogue, talking grass for hal…