Donald Trump turns 80 on June 14. A week later, he is expected to kick off a 16-day celebration of America’s 250th anniversary at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The National Mall is home to some of the country’s most iconic monuments and memorials.
But before the festivities could begin, Trump received an unexpected early birthday surprise that prompted a police response at the landmark.
Trump seemingly hoped it would be the perfect spot for hundreds of thousands, maybe even a million or more, supporters to gather and witness him commemorate the special occasions.
It would be something like a do-over weeks after his humiliating story about his 2016 inauguration photos revealing an underwhelming turnout.
However, an unusual sighting may have derailed plans to capture picture-perfect memories.
The National Mall’s usually green lawn appeared to have several brown patches. The discoloration was in the formation of “8647.”
An X user reacting to photos of the damage commented, “Vandalism at the beautiful National Mall is a crime against every American and the POTUS.”
A second user tweeted, “As much as I hate Trump, vandalizing our Nation’s Capitol is rude. No different than Trump destroying the East Wing and hijacking the Kennedy Center.”
“When you or your friend got 86’d from a restaurant, did you fear that restaurant staff were going to inflict bodily harm? No – why not? Because that’s not what it means,” another wrote.
Others mocked the sighting with “Sounds like another $16 million dollar paintjob” and “Now Trump has to spray paint the grass green.”
Authorities responded to what appeared to be a large tracing of the term 8647 into the grounds of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Photo by @SmileItsNathan pic.twitter.com/gSVd0PXwQ6
— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) June 11, 2026
Trump recently spent $14 million resurfacing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which reopened to the public two days before the strange destruction of the National Mall grass.
An onlooker shared, “If they used an herbicide the grass will recover in time. If they use salt, they’re going to have to dig up the entire lawn and replace it. LMFAO.”
The context behind the 8647 numbers is unknown, but theories surfaced.
An individual wondered, “Did someone try to threaten President Trump by writing, well you know what etched into the grass?”
According to an Interior Department spokesperson, “Any threat against the president is taken very seriously by the Department, and our U.S. Park Police will investigate this incident and hold those responsible accountable.”
Reports are surfacing that the Trump DOJ has indicted former FBI Director James Comey over his social media post featuring seashells forming the number "8647."
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) April 28, 2026
The term "86" is common restaurant and colloquial slang meaning to eject, cancel, or get rid of something—as in, "Let’s… pic.twitter.com/a23EZOzoaY
Conspiracies suggesting that a Trump detractor wants him out of the White House quickly spread across social media, and ideas on who could be behind it.
“It appears that the aliens are against him too!” joked one person.
“Any sightings of James Comey on the cameras? It is sad that broken TDS suffers must wreck everything that normal people enjoy,” another wrote.
The Department of Justice charged former FBI Director James Comey with making threats to harm Trump. Comey posted a photo of 8647 formed by seashells on a beach on May 15, 2025.
Trump fired Comey in 2017 amid the DOJ’s investigation into claims that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election.
Secret Service has thwarted multiple attempts on Trump’s life, the most recent occurring during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April.
