U.S. News
Trump Jr. suggests replacing torn-down monuments with ‘more sturdy’ statues of the president
- Donald Trump Jr. has suggested to replace torn-down memorial statues with statues of his father.
- He argued that if they go through with it, the “nonsense” acts of tearing down statues “would stop instantly.”
- Activists have attempted to tear down several memorial statues for Confederate soldiers, former presidents, and Christopher Columbus, arguing that these only glorify white supremacy, colonialism, and racism.
Donald Trump Jr. has presented a solution for saving the memorial statues that have been torn down this month by protesters: replace them with statues of his father.
The president’s eldest son shared his suggestion on Tuesday morning in a Twitter post that read: “Want to save our monuments? Let’s get a movement going to replace any statue torn down during these riots with a new and more sturdy statue of @realDonaldTrump. The nonsense would stop instantly.”
Memorial statues for Confederate soldiers, former presidents, and Christopher Columbus had come under renewed scrutiny amid the ongoing protests against racial injustice.
Activists pointed out that the Confederate statues only glorify white supremacy, colonialism, and racism.
Several statues across the country have since been vandalized or toppled.
The statue of former President Andrew Jackson in Washington D.C. has been defaced by protesters on Monday. It was pointed out that Jackson had signed a law that led to the displacement and deaths of Native Americans on a march known as the “Trail of Tears,” NBC News reported.
According to a report from The Hill, protesters chanted “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Andrew Jackson’s got to go” as they attempted to pull down the statue.
President Trump later condemned the act as “disgraceful vandalism” and assured everyone that “numerous people” have been arrested for it.
He then threatened on Tuesday morning that people who vandalize federal property will be charged with “up to 10 years in prison.”
The president tweeted: “I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such Federal property in the U.S. with up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent.”
“This action is taken effective immediately, but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exception,” he continued.
Following that law, anyone who vandalizes federal property “commemorating the service of any person or persons in the armed forces of the United States shall be fined” or imprisoned for up to 10 years. It does not apply to statues on private, state or local property, however.
Source: The State
