Fact Check: Was 'Epstein' projected onto the Washington Monument on July 4th?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid Fourth of July celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, an image began circulating on social media platforms claiming to show the Washington Monument being illuminated with an "Epstein" projection on Independence Day. Let us analyze the viral image and fact-check its authenticity.
Claim: Jeffrey Epstein's name projected onto Washington Monument
The viral photo shows a nighttime image of the Washington Monument lit in blue with "EPSTEIN" spelled vertically projected on it.
One post that shared the image captioned it as, “Wow! - loving what Trump's done to the Washington monument tonight.”
The photo has been amplified by several accounts on X and Instagram, garnering thousands of views.
Most comments under the post appeared to mock the alleged projection, while it also drew speculation, with many calling for the alleged act to be investigated and criticised those who did it amid the America 250 celebrations.
Meanwhile, a few others dismissed the image as fake and called for a fact check.
Fact Check: No such projection appeared on the Washington Monument
The image, however, is fake, and there are no reports about the late offender’s name being projected on the iconic monument recently.
From July 1-5, 18-minute projections will illuminate the Washington Monument nightly, honoring historic people, places, and ideals, but as of this writing, Jeffrey Epstein's name was not projected onto it.
If the claim was true, it would have been widely reported and shared by credible media outlets, but a search on Google for the claim yielded no relevant results.
Severe weather disrupts Donald Trump's America 250 event
The image surfaced as President Donald Trump's plans to celebrate America's 250th anniversary hit an unexpected setback on Saturday, July 4, after severe storms approaching Washington forced organizers to evacuate the National Mall ahead of the scheduled America 250 celebration.
Thousands had gathered for the event when organizers announced that attendees needed to leave the area and seek shelter as storm conditions worsened.
Freedom 250 organizers confirmed the evacuation as dark clouds gathered over Washington, stating, “Freedom 250 will share updates on programming and doors reopening."
The evacuation came as a precaution while officials monitored the weather before deciding whether the celebration could continue.
