"Clean Hands Dirty Money"... Another Graffiti Attack at Washington National Mall

World War II Memorial Defaced with Paint and Soap Bubbles

Anti-Trump Slogan Etched on Lawn in June

The World War II Memorial, located on the National Mall in Washington DC — a popular landmark in the U.S. capital — was defaced with graffiti and contaminated with soap bubbles, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.

According to reports from the Washington Post (WP) and the Associated Press (AP) on the 13th (local time), graffiti was scrawled and soap bubbles sprayed on the "World War II National Memorial" on the National Mall. Opened in 2004, the memorial honors 16 million American veterans who served in World War II and 400,000 American soldiers who lost their lives. The memorial comprises 56 granite pillars, arches symbolizing the Atlantic and Pacific, and a central fountain.

On the 13th (local time), the World War II National Memorial in Washington DC, the capital of the United States, was vandalized with graffiti. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

White mounds of soap bubbles piled up inside and around the fountain next to the “Atlantic Arch.” Beneath the arch, the phrase “Clean hands dirty $” was written in red graffiti, and some of the granite structures were marked with red and green paint. WP reported that “it looked just like a bubble bath.”

The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service (NPS), stated, “This act of vandalism is deeply shameful and will absolutely not be tolerated. U.S. Park Police are currently investigating at the scene. We are determined to identify and prosecute the suspect.” Cleanup efforts to remove the graffiti began at 6 p.m. that day.

The "Friends of the National World War II Memorial," the organization supporting the memorial, expressed deep concern over the incident, emphasizing, “Regardless of the intent, desecrating a space that honors the service and sacrifice of the World War II generation is unacceptable.” One visitor speculated that the motive behind the act might have been a protest against the U.S. government's provision of weapons to Israel or the government spending taxpayer money to construct the "Trump Arch."

The National Mall, home to monuments commemorating historical figures such as Lincoln and Roosevelt, is Washington’s most prominent park. Earlier, in June, the number “8647” — a slogan opposing President Donald Trump — was etched onto the Mall’s lawn, prompting an official investigation. The number “8647” is a symbolic expression of opposition to President Trump, also used at protests and on merchandise like t-shirts. In American diner slang, “86” means “to get rid of” an order or a customer, while “47” refers to Trump as the 47th President of the United States.

The Trump Administration has interpreted this number as more than just a political slogan — as a threat against the President. In the past, President Donald Trump claimed on his social media accounts that “‘86’ is slang for ‘kill,’ so ‘8647’ means ‘kill President Trump.’”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.