The man who destroyed Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star wants a gold star.
Last month, a man carrying a pickaxe smashed the star into smithereens. On Wednesday, that man pleaded not guilty to felony vandalism charges, writes The Hollywood Reporter, and said he "only wanted to bring about positive political change."
"I don't personally think that there should be any charges brought against me," he told reporters outside the Los Angeles courthouse. "Because what I did, I believe, was a rightful and just act." Trump's star was previously pulverized by a different pickaxe-wielding individual in 2016.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The alleged vandal, Clay Austin, additionally said the repercussions of his actions last month "were only positive." The Los Angeles City Council last week voted to remove Trump's star from the Walk of Fame altogether, citing the costs of dealing with the repeated vandalism. If the city's chamber of commerce agrees with the city council, it would be the first star removal in Walk of Fame history. Read more at The Hollywood Reporter.
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denialSpeed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartelsspeed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feudSpeed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protestersSpeed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoffSpeed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsionSpeed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deploymentSpeed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland
