World War II Memorial in DC vandalized with bubbles, graffiti

WASHINGTON (AP) — The World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was vandalized Thursday, with bubbles filling a fountain and "Clean hands dirty $" written in red paint.

The Interior Department released a statement late Thursday saying: "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 Friends of the National World War II Memorial, a nonprofit organization that helps maintain the site, 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."

The Veterans of Foreign Wars called the vandalism "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."

The World War II Memorial is just east of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the Mall. After a botched repair job earlier this year left the pool with peeling blue sealant and green algae, President Donald Trump blamed the issues on vandalism without providing evidence.

A woman walks near the fountain at the WWII Memorial, in Washington, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) - The Associated Press