Trump Admin Says World War II Memorial Vandalism an 'Utter Disgrace'

The World War II Memorial fountain in Washington, D.C., situated near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, was vandalized on Thursday with graffiti and soap.

Images shared on social media showed bright green and pink paint on the fountain's stonework, while part of the water feature was full of bubbles. Video showed some bubbles floating in the air.

The memorial sits on the National Mall, which has been a focus of President Donald Trump's efforts to refurbish and enhance the capital's landmarks and memorials in recent months. While some have been heralded as a success, the Trump administration's efforts to fix the nearby Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have been fraught with issues.

Shortly after the vandalism was spotted, the memorial was closed off to the public and the media.

"The World War II Memorial is a sacred place to honor the service of our members of the Armed Forces and the over 400,000 Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWII," a Department of the Interior spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement. "The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated."

"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 statement said.

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the site, condemned the vandalism in a statement on Thursday.

"Whatever the intent, defacing a place dedicated to the service and sacrifice of the World War II generation is unacceptable," the group said. "There are many places in our country for expression, debate and disagreement. A national memorial honoring those who served and those who never returned home should never be used as a canvas for vandalism."

One visitor who spoke to Newsweek who said the heavy police presence Thursday felt "a little bit scary." "It's definitely not good. It is a very important monument for the country. Somebody vandalizing it is not a good scene," he told Newsweek.

Another passerby, who identified herself as Paulie, said that when she saw the U.S. Park Police, she thought something more serious had happened. "When I saw it was a bubble bath, obviously that's disrespectful, but you would think someone got seriously injured," she said. "This is something that should be nonpartisan. It's honoring our veterans, vandalizing that isn't making a point."

Republican Congressman Abe Hamadeh of Arizona took to X on Thursday: "Is nothing sacred? The World War II memorial was just vandalized. These disgusting CRIMINALS are the lowest scum of society. They must be prosecuted, shamed publicly, and forced to clean up this mess themselves."

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat, similarly took to X: "A 17 year effort that started in NW Ohio got the @WWIIMemorial built. The Memorial honors those who fought for the Free World we know. These cruel and callous acts of vandalism dishonor that legacy, and the brave men and women who fought for the cause of Liberty. For shame!"

"Defacing this memorial with graffiti and paint and dumping soap into its fountains is not an act of expression. It is an act of profound disrespect, a slap in the face to the veterans who served and sacrificed and to the families who carried that burden at home," Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Cory Geisler told Newsweek in a statement. "It is an especially painful insult to the few remaining World War II veterans still with us today. It is personal for me as well, as both of my grandfathers served during World War II."

Geisler said the VFW would support the Trump administration's investigation and prosecution of any suspects.

In May, Trump suggested that the memorial's fountain could undergo additional cosmetic work after officials began renovations of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying the basin of the WWII fountain was "also in pretty bad shape."