Darren Lyn
12 June 2026•Update: 12 June 2026
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.
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.”
White House taking threat seriously
"The deranged vandalism on our National Mall will not be tolerated," an Interior Department spokesperson said in a statement. "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."
The White House said that they are taking the possible threat seriously.
"Anyone who engages in or endorses political violence or assassination culture must be condemned in the harshest terms possible," White House spokesman Davis Ingle told CBS News. "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 after sharing an Instagram post last year that showed seashells on the beach arranged to form the numbers 86 and 47.
He was charged with two federal counts of threatening the life of the president and transmitting threats to the president via interstate commerce.
Comey deleted the post and said he believed the shell formation was communicating a "political message," adding that he did not realize that some people associate the numbers with violence.
Some ridiculed the charges, pointing out that 86 was also used for former President Barack Obama and Joe Biden during their presidencies – including on merchandise sold openly on Amazon and other retailers – but that no one was ever charged over it.
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.
