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'8647' Etched on National Mall Sparks Investigation
Federal officials are testing grass samples as investigators examine whether the marking was political vandalism or a threat against President Donald Trump.
- U.S. authorities launched an investigation Thursday after a massive tracing of the political slogan "8647" was discovered etched directly into the grass of the National Mall.
- A Reuters photographer first spotted the giant numbers from the observation deck of the Washington Monument, noting the marking was located near the World War II Memorial shortly before U.S. Park Police and National Guard personnel arrived to secure the scene.
- The phrase "8647" has become a prominent anti-Trump protest slogan, combining the restaurant industry slang "86" with "47" in reference to Donald Trump's status as the 47th U.S. president.
- The political establishment remains deeply divided over the term's legality; the Department of Justice argues it constitutes a call to violence—recently indicting former FBI Director James Comey for posting a photo of the numbers spelled in seashells—while a federal judge recently blocked the National Park Service from banning an "8647" protest flag on free speech grounds.
- The high-profile vandalism comes at a time of peak visibility for the Mall, appearing in dead brown grass just as massive crowds assemble for the FIFA World Cup Fan Zone and upcoming preparations for Trump's "Freedom 250" festival and weekend birthday celebrations.
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The term was adopted by President Donald Trump's opponents as a protest against his government.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources193
Leaning Left39Leaning Right30Center96Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Center
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources are Center
58% Center
L 24%
C 58%
R 18%
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