10
Loading video...
+1
By Dan Gooding, Joshua Rhett Miller, Leonardo Feldman, and Gabe Whisnant
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump on Friday compared vandalism at a Washington, D.C., memorial to the alleged damage to the nearby Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
Shortly after the post, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced that charges were being filed against a suspect, whom she identified as Melissa L. Farris.
The president said in a post on Truth Social that "spray painting vandals" had attacked the World War II Memorial, after spray paint and bubble soap were seen on and in the fountain Thursday afternoon.
Read More on U.S.
"THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II," Trump posted. "First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???"
"Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom," Pirro said on X. "Those Americans include my father and grandfather."
Farris faces two felony charges: Depredation Against Property of the United States and Destruction of Veterans' Memorials.
...
Who is Melissa L. Farris?
Melissa L. Farris, 54, is identified in court documents as a Kentucky resident from Elizabethtown.
Federal investigators say Farris was identified through witness photographs, social media videos and a prior encounter with U.S. Park Police. Authorities allege she maintained public Facebook and Instagram accounts under the name "Melissa Lovewell."
On Facebook, Farris describes herself as a "Pirate Captain" and writes: "panhandling America for America Cash at me so I don't starve!"
According to the statement of facts supporting the criminal complaint, investigators reviewed videos posted to the accounts on Thursday, including one in which Farris allegedly admitted damaging the World War II Memorial. Prosecutors cited the videos as part of their probable-cause case.
Court documents suggest Farris viewed her actions as a way to draw attention to what she described as a "whistleblower case." According to the statement of facts, she said in a livestream before the alleged vandalism that she was acting "to push my whistleblower case into the courtroom" and expected to be arrested afterward. Prosecutors included the remarks as part of the evidence supporting the criminal complaint.
A Newsweek review of Farris' reported Facebook page found dozens of livestreams and posts from Washington, D.C., this week, including a video recorded at the World War II Memorial on Thursday in which she says, "It was me," as bubbles appear to flow through the fountain. At the end of the video, she appears to slam a vial of pink paint onto the memorial, and says, "Couldn't leave out pink."
Videos posted Friday showed a crying Farris turning herself in to D.C. authorities.
What Happened to the World War II Memorial?
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.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment Thursday afternoon.
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 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.
Related Story
Sorry America: Donald Trump Is Too Funny To Be a Fascist | Opinion
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 to comment on the incident, saying, "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!"
...
History of the World War II Memorial
The National World War II Memorial stands prominently on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, honoring the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during World War II and the more than 400,000 who died during the conflict.
Dedicated in 2004 after years of fundraising and planning, the memorial was designed by architect Friedrich St. Florian and features 56 granite pillars representing U.S. states and territories that existed during the war, along with two triumphal arches symbolizing the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
Its centerpiece is a large fountain surrounded by bronze wreaths and commemorative inscriptions. Since opening, the memorial has become one of the most visited sites in the nation's capital, drawing millions of visitors annually and serving as the focal point for major Veterans Day, Memorial Day and World War II remembrance ceremonies.
The site also includes the Freedom Wall, which contains 4,048 gold stars representing roughly 100 American service members who died in the war for each star displayed.
"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.
...
Trump's Push to Remake Washington's Memorials
The vandalism comes amid a broader Trump administration effort to renovate and reshape some of Washington's most recognizable public landmarks.
Earlier this year, the National Park Service launched a multi-million-dollar modernization project at the World War II Memorial that included upgrades to aging fountain systems, lighting and electrical infrastructure. The agency said the work was intended to improve reliability and appearance ahead of America's 250th anniversary celebrations.
The renovation was linked by federal officials to Trump's executive order directing agencies to make D.C. "Safe and Beautiful," part of a wider campaign to restore monuments, federal buildings and public spaces in the capital.
Related Story
Sign at Reflecting Pool Takes Aim at ‘Previous Administrations’
Trump has repeatedly argued that Washington's landmarks should project what he describes as American strength and national pride.
The World War II Memorial has also emerged as a specific focus of the administration's plans. 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."
The proposal sparked debate among preservationists and historians, reflecting broader tensions between modernization efforts, maintenance needs and concerns about altering historically significant landmarks.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant, Sam Wilson, Anna Commander, Gray R. Thomas.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines