Trump Authorizes Federal Government to Arrest Anyone Who Vandalizes, Destroys Statues On Federal Property

Epoch Times ^ | 06/23/2020 | Zachary Steiber

[SeekAndFind]

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he’s issued an executive order authorizing the federal government to arrest any person who vandalizes or destroys a monument or other federal property.

The wrongdoers will face up to 10 years in prison, Trump said in a social media statement.

“This action is taken effective immediately, but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exceptions!” the president said.

Prosecutors can use the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act or other pertinent laws. The act, passed in 2003, says that people who willfully try or successfully injure or destroy any structure, plaque, statue, or other monument on public property commemorating service in the armed forces of the United States shall be fined, imprisoned up to 10 years, or both.

“Numerous people are in jail, or are going to jail today,” Trump told reporters outside the White House Tuesday morning before leaving for Arizona.

“We’re looking at long-term jail sentences for these vandals and these hoodlums and these anarchists and agitators. Call them whatever you want, some people don’t like that language, but that’s what they are. They’re bad people. They don’t love our country.”

The order reinforces existing law, Trump asserted.

Two people were arrested while U.S. Park Police prevented vandals from toppling a statue of Andrew Jackson near the White House late Monday, a spokeswoman told The Epoch Times.

Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt condemned those involved, describing them as anarchists and criminals.

The Lincoln and World War II memorials were previously defaced, he said.

“Across the country, some elected leaders of our cities have expressed enthusiasm and support for these criminals, exhibiting an undeniable unwillingness to protect law abiding citizens and their property,” he said on Twitter.

[HypatiaTaught]

Should be illegal to do so no matter the property.

[DesertRhino]

Electrify them. Like big bug zappers...

The hell with these pre-genocidal revolutionaries.

[SeekAndFind]

RE:Should be illegal to do so no matter the property.

The problem isn’t Trump, the problem is the weak kneed Mayors and Governors of each city and state.

[jdsteel]

Rounding up all of them in large busses and paddy wagons and sending them to a judge that will give no bail would end this in a hurry.

But where are we going to find that judge?

[pepsionice]

Someone should point this...if arrested on fed charges and convicted...you don’t go back to your old job or lifestyle that easily.

[HypatiaTaught]

Right... so sad.

[myerson]

Go after the politicians and foot soldiers who have destroyed graves of and monuments to Confederate soldiers. The are by law US veterans, too.

[notdownwidems]

Why does he need to authorize anything? This is already a crime.

[convoter2016]

I’m waiting for an attorney general from a blue state to challenge Trump’s executive order. This should be a spectacle.

[NELSON111]

That’s correct. The Feds have a 98% conviction rate and there is no Federal parole. You get time -you do all of it. 90% of all indictments end in a plea and 80-90% of the remaining 10% end in a conviction. So-go ahead - roll the dice and mess with a statue on Federal property. You may not like the outcome.

[RummyChick]

since I have no doubt this will come up..and probably did within seconds of Lawrence Tribe reading what trump did...

I will post this here

https://lawandcrime.com/opinion/no-trump-didnt-make-an-ex-post-facto-law-to-punish-people-destroying-monuments/

[robowombat]

The feds have an army of armed types with police powers (even EPA has these people) so why haven’t these armed police been utilized?

[pepsionice]

I might point this out...if you were stupid enough to get a $90k debt on your college deal, and get arrested at age 25 (ten years of prison)...you probably will never reach a stage of paying off the debt, even at age 65. All for toppling a statue?

[11th_VA]

Inauguration riots: 234 arrests, 0 jury convictions: DC police chief calls for new law

Link

[Yo-Yo]

Is a Presidential order really required? I think not.

[Bob434]

He said there was already a law against it but he was ‘shoring it up’ by ordering his law enforcement to arrest people violating the law already on the books

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I told you folks. For all you "Muh, why won't Barr and Trump do something?" - They are doing it, behind the scenes. They are already going through video and quietly arresting the rioters. That lady lawyer in NYC throwing Molotov cocktails at cop cars? She is facing LIFE behind federal prison bars.

Once these useful idiots realize that they'll be facing stiff federal prison terms without Mommy and Daddy bailing them out, they're going stop immediately. Interestingly, it's self-loathing rich white kids who are the majority behind this garbage.

[DOC44]

Where do all these hoodlums come from. One, the colleges and universities are not open campuses so Tom and Jane are home in their parents basements and mommie and daddie are tired of the and glad to see them go. Rooshond and Saphron are home with grandma in she kicks them out and they got no place to go and nothing to do.... so lets riot and shoot people.

[hanamizu]

Why does he need to authorize anything? This is already a crime.

---

Of course it’s a crime. But if local authorities refuse to prosecute, then people can tear down anything they like. President Trump has the authority to enforce the Federal law regarding statues and monuments on Federal property. Although he is, of course, Hitler reincarnate /s, he doesn’t the the power to enforce state or local law.