US federal authorities are investigating what appears to be a massive etching of “8647” into the grass of the National Mall.
Live webcam footage from atop the Washington Monument as of Thursday afternoon shows the markings, with a highly visible “8,” along with less visible “6”, “4” and “7”.
“86” is frequently used across the restaurant industry to mean stop or get rid of something, while Donald Trump is the 47th president of the US.
“At approximately 11.30am, US Park police responded to a report of vandalism of the west lawn of the Washington Monument,” the US Park police said. “The numbers ‘8647’ were marked in the grass.
“The cause of the discoloration has not yet been determined. Grass samples have been collected for testing. The investigation is ongoing.”
A US Department of Interior spokesperson called the incident “deranged vandalism”, saying: “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.”
It remains unclear when, or how, the numbers were etched into the ground.
In April, James Comey, a former FBI director, was charged over a picture he posted last year on Instagram that depicted seashells arranged in the same numbers on a beach.
The Department of Justice charged Comey – who led an investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia – with two felonies, including making a threat against the president and transmitting that threat across state lines via social media.
Following his post, Comey took down the picture, saying in a statement on Instagram: “I didn’t realize some folks associated those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Comey has maintained his innocence, and vowed to fight the charges.
The latest incident comes just weeks before the US marks its 250th anniversary, with a series of events planned across the National Mall as part of the “Great American State Fair”.
It also comes in the wake of extensive renovations to the area, overseen personally by Trump. The upgrades included a $13.1m makeover of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, transforming it from a “gray stone” appearance to an “American-flag blue”.
