President Donald Trump condemned the graffiti vandalism of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., as a particularly grievous insult and said those responsible were being hunted down.
After the preeminent memorial to U.S. sacrifices in World War II was spray-painted with graffiti and its fountain filled with bubbly soap, the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Park Police quickly launched an investigation, and the matter soon drew the attention of the president.
“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals. THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???”
The graffiti on the monument said, “Clean hands dirty $.”
“The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated,” the Interior Department said in a statement. “Our U.S. Park Police are on the scene and the investigation is ongoing. The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act.”
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT BLAMES VANDALS FOR BUBBLES POURING OUT OF WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL
If caught, the vandal or vandals could face felony charges carrying up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
The vandalism brings Washington, D.C.’s monuments to the forefront of the national dialogue once again, after a summer characterized by competing accusations of vandalism or shoddy refurbishments swirling around the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool.