Washington dc: Photos taken Thursday of markings on the grass at the National Mall in Washington, DC appear to make a threat directed at US President Donald Trump. In the pictures circulating on social media, the numbers 86 47 can be seen in the grass adjacent to the World War II Memorial in the nation's capital shortly before federal authorities arrived to investigate the scene.
According to Anadolu Agency, the numbers were faded but visible to observers. US Park Police said officers responded to a report of vandalism on the west lawn of the Washington Monument. "The numbers 86 47 were marked in the grass," the department said in a statement. "The cause of the discoloration has not yet been determined. Grass samples have been collected for testing. The investigation is ongoing."
Some say the number 86 is a mob term that alludes to violence, while others say it is a common slang term, originating in restaurants, meaning simply to get rid of, cancel, or discard. The number 47 is an apparent reference to Trump, the 47th president of the United States. When the two numbers are placed together, some interpret it as 'kill President Trump.'
The White House has taken the potential threat seriously. "The deranged vandalism on our National Mall will not be tolerated," an Interior Department spokesperson stated. "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."
A White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, emphasized the seriousness of the situation to CBS News, stating, "Anyone who engages in or endorses political violence or assassination culture must be condemned in the harshest terms possible. 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 term 86 47 gained national attention recently after former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for sharing an Instagram post last year showing seashells arranged to form the numbers 86 and 47. He faced charges of threatening the life of the president and transmitting threats to the president via interstate commerce. Comey deleted the post, claiming he believed the shell formation was communicating a "political message" and did not realize the association with violence.
Some critics ridiculed the charges against Comey, noting that the term 86 had been used for former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden during their presidencies, with merchandise sold openly on platforms like Amazon, but no charges were ever filed. However, Trump survived an assassination attempt in July 2024, a circumstance not shared by either Obama or Biden.
Comey has not yet entered a plea to the charges and is scheduled to be arraigned in September.