Authorities are investigating a large marking resembling the numbers “8647” that appeared in the grass on the National Mall, just days before large crowds are expected to gather for a UFC event on President Donald Trump’s birthday.
Images captured by webcams atop the Washington Monument showed the numbers stretching across a large section of the Mall east of the World War II Memorial. Photographs taken June 5 did not show the markings, indicating they emerged over the following several days.
From ground level Thursday afternoon, the discolored patches were not immediately obvious. Witnesses reported that emergency vehicles cordoned off portions of the area around 1 p.m., as the U.S. Army Golden Knights conducted a parachute demonstration on the Mall.
‘Deranged’ vandal marked National Mall with giant menacing anti-Trump ‘8647’ message https://t.co/SaOCpGpUtL pic.twitter.com/mMfuUrzKlh
— New York Post (@nypost) June 11, 2026
White House spokesman Davis Ingle condemned the incident, stating: “anyone who engages in or endorses political violence or assassination culture must be condemned in the harshest terms possible.”
The Secret Service and FBI referred the matter to the U.S. Park Police, which is leading the investigation. A law enforcement source said the Secret Service would work with Park Police once a suspect is identified.
A Park Police spokesperson said the cause of the grass discoloration remains unclear. Samples were collected from the site for laboratory testing.
Footage from EarthCam cameras showed the numbers gradually becoming visible over several days.
The Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Mall, also issued a sharp rebuke. A spokesperson called the markings “deranged vandalism” that “will not be tolerated.”
“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 spokesperson added.
The sequence “8647” has circulated among critics of Trump and has been viewed by the administration as a potential threat. In restaurant slang, “86” commonly means to remove or discard something. Trump is the 47th president.The president has faced multiple assassination attempts over the past two years, including the most recent attempt during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner a few months ago. Democrats have routinely used violent language to encourage supporters and other cabinet officials have been targeted as well.
The incident comes amid heightened security preparations for Sunday’s UFC event on the National Mall, which is expected to draw a large crowd.
