President Donald Trump said Wednesday that protesters will come after the statues of Jesus Christ and the founding fathers below, and said he would be ready to sign a “ very strong executive order ” at weekends to punish those who topple statues.
“Now they are looking at Jesus Christ, they are looking at George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,” the president said during a Rose Garden press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Trump, who has been working on an executive order that would strengthen laws protecting historical statues, said he would be ready for signature at the weekend. He said earlier this week that he would include up to 10 years in prison for anyone who destroys or destroys any monument, statue or other federal property.
‘We are going to come out with a strong executive order. You should have that by the end of the week, which is fast approaching. We are going to have a very powerful statement, ” she said at her press conference.
President Donald Trump claimed that the protesters will come after the statues of Jesus Christ and the founding fathers below.
President Trump was angered when protesters attempted to tear down a statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park; were detained by the police
Andrew Jackson is one of Trump’s favorite presidents and has his portrait in the Oval Office, seen in the upper left corner of the Oval Office photo above.
The president’s interest in the issue came after protesters attempted to tear down a statue of President Andrew Jackson found in Lafayette Park across from the White House on Monday night. They had ropes tied around the monument, which features the former president sitting on the side of a breeding horse, and were trying to pull him when police officers stopped him.
Lafayette Park has been the scene of massive Black Lives Matters protests that erupted in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The administration had that area free of protesters, using chemical agents and rubber bullets, so that Trump could walk to St. John’s Church for a photo shoot with the Bible, a move that earned him criticism.
Protesters also blocked several streets around the White House on Monday and painted the letters BHAZ, which stands for Black House Autonomous Zone, around the area, including the church of San Juan, where Trump took his photo.
“There will never be an” Autonomous Zone “in Washington, DC, as long as I am its President,” Trump tweeted in response. “If you try, you will meet serious force!”
Her tweet was later flagged by Twitter for breaking her rules against abusive behavior. The tweet was muted so viewers have to click a link to view it.
Protesters attempted to tear down the Jackson statue on Monday night
Protesters climbed onto the statue and tied it with rope, but the police detained them.
Since Monday night’s protests, Trump has taken up the cause of protecting monuments and memorials across the United States. Jackson is one of his favorite presidents and has a portrait of him in the Oval Office.
Jackson served in the military and won the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. A similar statue of him is found in Jackson Square in that city. But he has been criticized for his harsh treatment of Native Americans when he was president. He removed the Cherokees from their tribal lands and sent them on a forced march to Oklahoma in what became known as the “Trail of Tears.” Thousands of Cherokees died.
Protesters also tore down the statue of Confederate General Albert Pike, the only public statue of a Confederate official in Washington, DC
The president also cited the Veterans Memorial Preservation Act, which allows fines and a prison sentence of up to 10 years for ‘attempts to injure or destroy any structure, plaque, statue, or other monument on public property commemorating the service of any person or persons in the armed forces of the United States. ”
The law, passed in 2013, does not require any action by the president to be enforced.
‘I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who destroys or destroys any federal monument, statue or other property in the United States. USA With up to 10 years in prison, under the Veterans Memorial Preservation Act or other applicable laws, ‘Trump tweeted Tuesday.
‘This action is effective immediately, but can also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exceptions! “He added.
The initial targets of the protesters were statues of Confederate soldiers and generals primarily in the south, but anger has spread to figures outside of the Civil War era.
View of a disfigured and downed statue of Confederate Albert Pike, downed by protesters in Washington DC
The bronze sculpture depicting the Goddess of Freemasonry at the base of the statue of a Confederate general, Albert Pike, is seen in red paint, after protesters brought down the Pike statue and set it on fire.
The bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson is detached from its base outside of Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon.
Delawarethe monsters in Portland brought down a statue of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, two former presidents who also owned slaves.
And protesters in San Francisco tore down the statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union Army during the Civil War, but also married a family who owned slaves.
Most of the takedowns occurred around June 15, the holiday that marks the end of slavery in the United States.
Trump said Tuesday, when it comes to the statues, “it will reinforce what is already there, but in a more uniform way.” He did not elaborate.
“We are looking for long-term prison terms for these hooligans and these thugs and these anarchists and agitators and we call it what they want,” Trump said. ‘Some people don’t like that language, but that’s what they are. They are bad people. They don’t love our country. And they are not tearing down our monuments, I just want to clear it up. ‘
Additionally, President Nancy Pelosi has called for the statues of Confederate soldiers and officials to be removed from the grounds of the United States Capitol.
He had the portraits of four House speakers who served the Confederacy removed from the area where images of previous speakers are shown.
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