Giant markings of the numbers “8647” appeared on the grass of the National Mall on Thursday, prompting an investigation by federal authorities and claims of “political violence” from the White House.
US Park Police responded to a report of vandalism at around 11:30 a.m. near the west lawn of the Washington Monument, close to the World War II memorial. The discolored patches were so large they could be seen from a web camera atop the Washington Monument.
“The cause of the discoloration has not yet been determined,” the US Park Police said in a statement. “Grass samples have been collected for testing. The investigation is ongoing.”
What ‘8647’ Means
The number sequence has become a flashpoint in political discourse. “86” is old restaurant slang meaning to dismiss, remove, or in some contexts, to kill or eliminate. President Donald Trump is the 47th president (as well as the 45th). The Trump administration has defined the combination as calling for the president’s assassination.
An Interior Department spokesperson called the incident “deranged” vandalism that “will not be tolerated.”
“Any threat against the President is taken very seriously by the Department, and our US Park Police will investigate this incident and hold those responsible accountable,” the spokesperson said.
The Comey Connection
The numbers are at the heart of an ongoing criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey. He was indicted in April after the Justice Department argued he had threatened Trump’s life by posting a photo on Instagram of seashells arranged to display “8647.”
Comey, who deleted the post within hours, said afterward that he had no idea it would be interpreted as a violent message. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,” he wrote. “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
His lawyers say the case should be dismissed as a vindictive and selective prosecution. A federal judge ruled this month that the numbers on their own constitute free speech.
White House Response
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle condemned the National Mall vandalism. “Anyone who engages in or endorses political violence or assassination culture must be condemned in the harshest terms possible,” he said.
“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 comes days ahead of an Ultimate Fighting Championship event scheduled on the White House grounds Sunday — Trump’s 80th birthday — and as the administration pushes forward with a beautification campaign of US monuments, including repainting the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and building a 250-foot triumphal arch.
The Bottom Line
Federal authorities are investigating large “8647” stains discovered on the National Mall grass in Washington, DC, near the Washington Monument and World War II Memorial. The Trump administration has called the vandalism “deranged” and a threat of political violence. The numbers are at the center of a criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, though a federal judge recently ruled that “8647” alone is protected free speech. US Park Police have collected grass samples for testing, and the investigation is ongoing.
