Trump’s New Executive Order will protect Statues under Memorial Preservation Act

Listen to this article

US President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order threatening long prison terms as he continues to rail against widespread demonstrations to remove Confederate-era monuments and other statues across the United States following renewed calls to dismantle symbols of white supremacy. The press secretary of White House, Kayleigh McEnany tweeted that those who vandalize our monuments will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It was not immediately clear what’s in the order, as federal law already prohibits vandalizing or destroying certain monuments punishable up to 10 years in prison. President has called for retribution against vandals amid demonstrations against racial injustice has raged against protesters targeting statues, including monuments to the Confederacy.

Point to be noted that protesters attempted to tear down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson, who has been targeted in demonstrations as a slave owner and supporter of the Indian Removal Act. President Trump called for the federal government to arrest anyone destroying or vandalizing any statue, monument, or federal property in the United States. It would send them more than 10-years in prison under the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act. It is noteworthy that protesters across the US have damaged several monuments. There are a number of state and city officials suggesting that those symbols should be removed from public view to prevent more demonstrations.

President Trump called for the immediate arrest of a group of people on 19^th June. The alleged group pulled down a statue of Confederate general Albert Pike in Washington, DC. Washington Governor Jay Inslee said, “I wish he cared more about living Americans instead of dead Confederates”. Congresswoman Maxine Waters also condemned the president’s threats this week and said, ”One would hope that the president of the United States would rise to the level of leadership that our country needs in confronting the deadly uptick in coronavirus cases in America. Instead, we are left with Donald Trump, an incompetent and heartless man who is more focused on saving statues of slaveholders, Confederate generals, and racists than protecting the health of living and breathing Americans”.