Overview
- U.S. Park Police said workers found a roughly 15-by-30-foot “8647” sprayed in the drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday, then secured and covered the area.
- Officials called the vandalism unacceptable and said an active investigation is under way to identify whoever is responsible.
- The pool is being resurfaced with an “American flag blue” coating under a White House-directed project that Interior leaders say is slated to finish by July 4.
- The number “86” is restaurant slang for “remove,” and some Republicans read “8647” as targeting the 47th president; Mediaite and the Washington Examiner also reported an indictment this week of James Comey over a 2025 post that spelled the same phrase.
- A D.C. freelancer on scene described two tarped sections and officers speaking with workers, signaling tight attention to security as crews continue the high-profile work.