Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Star has been boarded up and protected with cages to protect further defacement. This comes after the latest attack on the Hollywood walkway.
It is not the first time someone has defaced the soon to be ex-president’s Hollywood star. It has been vandalized with paint, a jackhammer, stickers, a bag of poop and much more. One man even went as far as to dress as the Incredible Hulk and inflicted his damage.
The star is now covered by a wooden board and surrounded by fencing to protect people from tripping. The Hollywood Historic Trust has paid out thousands of dollars in repairs to Trump’s star since he took office in January 2017. Trump’s star has been defaced with swastikas, had vile comments sprayed across it, and even a fake, miniature version of the president’s proposed border wall was erected.
James Otis, the Otis Elevator heir, has been arrested multiple times for causing damage to the star. Most recently, a few days before the 2020 presidential election. Even with the protection of wood and fencing, according to reports, Otis hopped the fence and smashed up the star using a pickaxe. He then turned himself into police.
The vandalism comes as Trump continues to insist that he won the 2020 election. He has expressed beliefs that Biden only won on a count of widespread voter fraud at every chance he has gotten.
On Saturday, Trump continued his outspoken remarks at a rally in Georgia, where he told supporters that he does not want to “wait until 2024” to run for president again. Trump echoed his baseless claims and told the crowd again that the election was fixed.
There has been many over the years who have suggested its removal from the walkway. Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill famously suggested it be replaced by someone who “earned it.” The Star Wars actor through the late Carry Fisher’s name into the mix.
However, according to a statement from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, it’s unlikely the star will ever be removed.
“The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a registered historic landmark,” said Leron Gubler, the organization’s president and CEO. “Once a star has been added to the Walk, it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Because of this, we have never removed a star from the Walk.”
