
The internet will meme for pretty much anything: the royal wedding, Eurovision and even that time a hair joke confused men.
So, when a seemingly growing sinkhole opened up on the White House lawn - yep, the White House lawn; we can sense the metaphors already - you can only brace ourselves for the inevitable.
The collapse, which occurred on the north lawn and near the press briefing room, was first noticed by Voice of America reporter Steve Herman, who dutifully informed the world of its undoubtedly hilarious presence via Twitter.
This week I’ve been observing a sinkhole on the @WhiteHouse North Lawn, just outside the press briefing room, growi… https://t.co/8ESQuyUDkL— Steve Herman (@Steve Herman) 1526995935
Washington DC has plenty of geological issues - and some areas within the city are also susceptible to “forebulge collapse”, a post-Ice Age condition meaning it could sink as much as six inches this century.
Sinkholes have opened up across the city in recent years, forcing two residents to abandon their homes in March and swallowing up a school bus last year.
But none of this has garnered quite as much attention online as the sinkhole at the White House, which seems to be once again struggling to contain leaks.
There are so many metaphors, it could be an English literature lesson.
@W7VOA @WhiteHouse @qz The First Lady had kidney surgery (pissed off), 45 worried re leaks (literally & figurative… https://t.co/vclwjqgOKP— cindralaluna (@cindralaluna) 1527011037
An actual sinkhole has opened on the White House lawn. It’s growing. And it's actually just hell opening up to welc… https://t.co/AiDh9Zi8oB— Kyle Louis Reynolds (@Kyle Louis Reynolds) 1527011098
It's not like a growing sinkhole right outside the press briefing room at the White House has any existential meaning to it at all, right?— Jeff Urbanchuk (@Jeff Urbanchuk) 1527006972
Some people were even egging the sinkhole on.
@Amy_Siskind Please let it be the biggest and best sinkhole. A beautiful sinkhole.— sullivka (@sullivka) 1527006721
Grow, little baby sinkhole... Grow.. RT if you would be ok rebuilding the white house if trump literally disappear… https://t.co/LB5qJ8Mta4— Jami Amo (@Jami Amo ) 1527010824
Others were asking the important questions: like, will it drain the swamp?
FYI: Parts of Washington DC actually rest on a bit of a swamp. Perhaps we've been misunderstanding Trump this entire time.
“It was noticeably bigger between Sunday and Monday, it’s more than a foot long right now. A second sinkhole has op… https://t.co/PYABJEI7Jn— Nita Cosby (@Nita Cosby) 1527010790
Plus, is nature out to get Trump?
An actual, literal sinkhole has opened on the White House lawn outside the briefing room on the north side. Even th… https://t.co/94NI3aBOHY— NastyWomenofNPS (@NastyWomenofNPS) 1527013491
@NPSJennyAS @Acosta @NatlParkService @WhiteHouse Even the Earth wants to impeach him....— ashley pifer (@ashley pifer) 1527025119
And will Melania finally escape?
@thehill Melania's escape tunnel has caved in.— The Masked Dave Dombroski(@Home) (@The Masked Dave Dombroski(@Home)) 1527005993
Now it's official: There's a cover-up going on.
Update: The @WhiteHouse sinkhole is now a cover-up. https://t.co/X031j3SL0u— Steve Herman (@Steve Herman) 1527025331
By mid-afternoon yesterday, just hours after initial reports, the sinkhole had its own Twitter account.
Obviously.
And it's just excited to be here.
I’m so excited to be part of this administration and I’d like to suck in as many people as I can. Where should I start? #sinkholes— White House Sinkhole ⚫️ (@White House Sinkhole ⚫️) 1527013176
The origins of the mysterious sinkhole are fiercely debated;: could it be the result of an old water line that has rusted through and caused water to leak, eventually leaving the ground above to become unstable and collapse? Or is heavy rainfall combined with Washington DC's "poorly consolidated sediments" to blame? Or is geology actually sending us a message?
In a statement posted on Twitter, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service, national capital region, said the sinkhole/metaphor was being monitored:
@NatlParkService is monitoring the small sinkhole on the north White House grounds. We do not believe it poses any… https://t.co/2eQsAc02nk— National Parks of Greater Washington, DC (@National Parks of Greater Washington, DC) 1527022307