West Hollywood May Decide To Remove Trump’s Star From The Walk Of Fame

This Monday, the West Hollywood City Council plans to vote on whether or not to keep President Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to the Los Angeles Times, the removal was suggested by West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem John D’Amico and Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath. They are asking the Council and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to remove the star “due to [Trump’s] disturbing treatment of women and other actions.”

Trump’s star has been vandalized frequently since his 2016 presidential campaign. The star, located on Hollywood Boulevard near Highland Avenue, was first damaged in October 2016 when 52-year-old James Otis took a sledgehammer to the star. He was charged with vandalism and was charged over $400 in damages.

“I just sort of had enough with Mr. Trump’s aggressive language toward women and his behavior, his sexual violence with women and against women. I’ve had personally in my own family four people who have been assaulted or have had sexual violence happen to them. It all became very personal,” said Otis.

In July, 24-year-old Austin Mikel Clay damaged the star with a pickax. Clay vandalized the star around 3:30 a.m. on July 25th. He then called the police and admitted to vandalizing the star. Though Clay had left the area by the time the police got to the area, he later turned himself in at the Beverly Hills police quarters. According to Clay’s records, “he was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism and is being held on $20,000 bail.”

President Trump’s star on the Walk of Fame has been vandalized again. Details @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/PyocRok5Ki

— John Gregory (@abc7johngregory) July 25, 2018

Despite the incidents of vandalization, the resolution to the city council didn’t note the vandalism as a reason to remove the star. A staff report notes that part of the reason for the resolution is: “denial of findings from the United States intelligence community regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.” Additionally, the report requests that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the city of Los Angeles be more selective with who they choose to feature on the Walk of Fame.

This is not the first time that a call for Trump’s removal on the Walk of Fame has been brought up. Many called for the removal of his star, which he received in 2007, during his presidential campaign, when he referred to Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and “criminals.”

But the council may have its work cut out for itself. In 2015, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce refused to remove Bill Cosby’s star on the Walk of Fame amidst numerous sexual assault allegations. According to the president and chief executive of the chamber, Leron Gubler: “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.”