WASHINGTON — A suspect is in custody and facing federal prosecution after someone spray-painted neon orange, pink and green graffiti across the National World War II Memorial in Washington on Friday, drawing sharp condemnation from President Trump and triggering a criminal investigation by U.S. Park Police.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday that the Justice Department will prosecute Melissa L. Farris on two felony charges: depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans memorials. Both offenses carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
White House photos posted online showed graffiti spread throughout the memorial, including an orange-painted message near one entrance reading "Clean hands Dirty $" and thick soap bubbles overflowing from the fountain at the center of the structure.
Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday morning: "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. First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from."
The Interior Department condemned the act in a statement: "The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated."
The National World War II Memorial, situated on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, honors the 16 million Americans who served in U.S. military forces during World War II. More than 400,000 of them died in the conflict.
Trump linked Friday's spray-painting to what he described as a pattern of attacks on National Mall monuments, pointing specifically to damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. That connection is disputed. Pirro had previously blamed the reflecting pool's peeling paint and deteriorating inner linings on vandals, an assertion that led to multiple arrests, including that of Olympic athlete David Hearn. The Justice Department later dropped those charges and attributed the damage to contractors who managed a multimillion-dollar renovation project on the monument.
Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum both publicly disagreed with Pirro's decision to drop the reflecting pool charges, a rare instance of the administration's own officials splitting openly over a law enforcement call.
A separate incident on the National Mall added to the administration's concern about targeted threats. Before Trump's birthday UFC event at the Washington Monument, someone scratched the phrase "86 47" into the grass near the monument. Federal officials characterized the phrase as a threat of violence against the president: 86 is used in the restaurant industry to mean cancel or eliminate, and 47 refers to Trump's designation as the 47th president.
Farris, who is in custody, faces the depredation charge under federal law protecting U.S. government property and a separate count under statutes that specifically protect veterans memorials from destruction or defacement. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed how investigators identified Farris or what evidence links her to the site.
