The man who destroyed Trump's Hollywood star says he just wanted to bring 'positive political change'

(Image credit: Katharine Lotze / Getty Images)

published 15 August 2018

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."

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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.

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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