Law enforcement officials responded to Washington, D.C.’s National Mall on Thursday after a giant “8647” message appeared to be etched into the grass, prompting an investigation as federal authorities remain on heightened alert over political threats and violence.
“The deranged vandalism on our National Mall will not be tolerated,” an Interior Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Any threat against the President is taken very seriously by the Department, and our U.S. Park Police will investigate this incident and hold those responsible accountable.”
The marking was etched into the grass between the Washington Monument and the World War II memorial. The administration has previously interpreted the number “86” as a political threat, pointing to its common use in the restaurant industry to mean removing or refusing service, while 47 appears to refer to Trump as the 47th president.
The administration has previously treated “86 47” messages as threatening, arguing that “86” can mean to get rid of or remove, per restaurant industry slang, while “47” refers to Trump as the 47th president.
U.S. Park Police responded to the incident around noon, FOX 5 reported. Grass samples were also collected for testing and examination in the area by investigators.
“Anyone who engages in or endorses political violence or assassination culture must be condemned in the harshest terms possible,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital. “They should also immediately seek psychiatric help to treat their severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has warped their brains and made them sick in the head.”
The incident took place days before Trump’s birthday on Sunday, which coincides with the UFC Freedom Fight taking place on the South Law, which is expected to attract 4,000 spectators to the White House.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was set up near the Lincoln Memorial for a weigh-in event on Friday.
America’s 250th birthday brings major events to the nation’s capital as D.C. braces for massive crowds, tight security, road closures and heightened law enforcement presence.
FROM RALLY GUNFIRE TO WHITE HOUSE SHOOTING, THREATS AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE TO MOUNT
Trump has repeatedly been targeted by violence, including just in April at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
There were two assassination attempts on Trump’s life in 2024, beginning in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his ear after a gunman climbed onto a roof during a rally on July 13, 2024.
The incident comes amid heightened administration scrutiny of “86 47” messages after the Department of Justice charged former FBI Director James Comey over a similar message.
Comey was charged with two federal counts over an Instagram post last year showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” and faces a maximum 10 years in prison if convicted. Comey has denied wrongdoing, saying he did not intend the post as a call for violence and removed it once critics interpreted it as a threat.