President Donald Trump condemned vandals who targeted the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., after a fountain was filled with bubbles and parts of the memorial were hit with spray paint.
The vandalism included pink and green neon graffiti along with the words “Clean hands dirty $” scrawled on the memorial’s Atlantic Pavilion, according to CNN.
The Department of the Interior said an investigation into the incident is underway and vowed to identify whoever was responsible.
“The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act,” the department said, according to the Associated Press.
Trump responded early Friday on Truth Social, blasting the vandalism and describing it as an insult to Americans who died during World War II.
“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals,” Trump wrote.
“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??? President DJT,” he added.
Trump’s reference to the Reflecting Pool comes amid an ongoing dispute over alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where American Olympian David Hearn had previously been arrested.
That case, however, was dropped by Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The administration’s work on the Reflecting Pool had also come under scrutiny over claims that a rushed renovation contributed to damage at the site.
Trump publicly criticized Pirro’s decision to abandon the prosecution and continued to insist vandalism had taken place.
“Jeanine Pirro made a mistake,” Trump said of the decision. “There was vandalism.”
Hearn has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty before the case was dropped. He told reporters that he did not damage the Reflecting Pool and said the material he touched had already been peeling.
Hearn said he “didn’t destroy or break or peel anything” and explained that he had only grabbed the end of an “already peeling piece.”
He said he left the piece “still attached to the bottom” and “didn’t remove anything.”
Despite Pirro’s office dropping the case, the White House recently asked the Department of Justice to consider reopening the case against Hearn.
Pirro’s office had said its decision to end the prosecution was based on information provided by the Department of the Interior.
Trump, meanwhile, has continued to reject the conclusion that the Reflecting Pool incident did not amount to vandalism.
The new incident at the World War II Memorial is now under investigation, with the Interior Department promising that authorities will pursue whoever was responsible for the graffiti and bubbles.
Trump linked the two incidents in his Friday statement, declaring that authorities were “on their trail” and sharply condemning the latest damage to one of Washington’s prominent war memorials.
