The Interior Department on Thursday said vandals were responsible for bubbles filling the National World War II Memorial fountain on the National Mall.
An Interior Department spokesperson confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the bubbles were the result of vandalism, and not part of a unique cleaning process as some online users speculated. Photos of the vandalism showed mounds of bubbles in the monument’s fountain.
“The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated,” the department said. “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.”
The perpetrator could face felony charges under federal law governing monuments. Pouring soap in the fountain poses a risk to the mechanical pumps, and if repairs cost more than $1,000, felony charges could be brought against the vandal. If convicted, the vandals could face up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
The Trump administration has demonstrated it takes tampering with federal property incredibly seriously. President Donald Trump and the Interior Department recently drained and resealed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, but the project went south when the water filled with algae blooms and paint began peeling from the surface.
Trump claimed the damage to the pool was the result of vandalism, and charges were brought against several individuals accused of such a crime, including a felony charge against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn. U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro later dropped the charges against all the individuals, citing the cause of the damage as flawed installation. Trump has since urged Pirro to reopen the cases, maintaining the pool was vandalized.
DOJ WON’T RULE OUT NEW CHARGES FOR REFLECTING POOL VANDALS AS TRUMP CALLS TO REVISIT DROPPED CASES
The World War II Memorial was closed for cleaning and renovations in January. As part of the project, the fountains were modernized, and new lighting was installed. The renovations were complete in May and cost over $3 million.
The memorial and several other monuments around the district were renovated as part of Trump’s March 2025 executive order titled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.”