Horse hockey: it's a tree.
All those WaPo tools can shove their "old growth," "beloved," "local favorite," crap.
If the tree had turned up gone for anything beside a Trump event, they'd have all gone "damn, that sucks. I really liked that old tree." And any agreement you give them will be used against you.
When they complain, we need to tell them "here's a quarter...etc."
And apparently it was on Public property....
Should not there have been some discussion..about chopping down a tree...on Public property to do anything with?
Maybe we don't have full disclosure here..And I'd guess that is correct.