Authorities in the United States are investigating the appearance of a large drawing resembling the numbers “8647” on the lawn of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
A Reuters photographer at the top of the Washington Monument spotted the drawing on the grass near the World War II Memorial shortly before authorities arrived on Thursday (11). The image shows the numbers eight, six, and seven, although the four is not clearly defined.
What does “8647” mean?
The term “8647” has been adopted by opponents of President Donald Trump as a form of protest against his administration. Allies of Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice have stated that it could be interpreted as incitement to violence.
The numerical sequence refers to the slang term “86,” which originated in the restaurant industry and means to remove or get rid of something, combined with Trump being the 47th President of the United States
It is not clear how the markings on the grass were made. In the area, the grass appears brown, in contrast to the surrounding green.
Spokespersons for the U.S. National Park Service and the U.S. Park Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House also did not respond immediately.
The incident comes as the National Mall is preparing to host events commemorating the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in the coming weeks. Trump has taken a personal interest in the renovation of the area, including repainting the reflecting pool near the Lincoln Memorial.
The code circulated on social media by former FBI director
The escalation of controversy over how to interpret this code began when former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime political adversary of Trump, posted a photo on Instagram in May 2025 showing shells on a beach forming the number “8647.”
Comey captioned the image with the phrase: “Interesting shell formation on my beach walk.”
Trump and some members of his administration reacted strongly. They accused Comey of, as a “former top intelligence official,” not using an innocent restaurant slang term, but instead sending a coded message.
According to James Blair, then Deputy White House Chief of Staff, the code would be a “signal to terrorists and hostile regimes to kill the president.” Comey was questioned by the Secret Service and in April 2026 was formally charged over a potential threat against the president.
Comey himself deleted the post the same day following backlash from Trump’s side. He later stated that he had found the shells arranged that way on a beach in North Carolina, spontaneously interpreted them as a “political message,” and decided to post the image.
He argued that he was not aware that some people could associate the numbers with violence.
Symbol protected by freedom of expression
Still, the numerical code itself is not a prohibited symbol. Earlier this year, a U.S. federal judge explicitly allowed the organization Accountability Now USA to fly a flag with the numbers “86 47” near the National Mall.
In principle, the court argued, people tend to interpret the code as a legitimate call for constitutional impeachment or removal through elections, rather than incitement to political violence.
As long as it is displayed peacefully on posters, clothing, or flags, the symbol is protected under freedom of expression.
The situation is different when the numbers are carved into the National Mall lawn, this constitutes criminal damage to federal public property. In addition, Trump points to a real environment of threats. During his presidency, there have been several security incidents and assassination attempts.
Therefore, beyond suspicion of vandalism, authorities are also investigating whether the message could be interpreted as a threat against the president.
