An unidentified person dressed as Bill Cosby and Michael Jackson have seen their plaques vandalized. But Trump seems to hold the record—this was actually the fifth known time that critics of the president have taken their anger out on the sidewalk star bearing his name, which Trump received in 2007 for his television work, including his performances on The Apprentice and infamous work producing televised beauty pageants.
Trump's plaque was first destroyed with a sledgehammer shortly before the 2016 election. It was replaced by the Hollywood Historic Trust (a non-profit that doesn't use taxpayer money), only to be destroyed with a pickaxe two years later and replaced again. Since then, the sidewalk marker has also been painted over twice—once in 2019 with white paint blotting out Trump's name, and again earlier this year when someone painted black over the entire star and added "BLM" (the acronym for Black Lives Matter), along with a bag filled with dog poop. In those cases, workers from city program Clean Streets L.A. restored the star, which is regularly seen being spat upon by countless locals and tourists.
But the latest attack was the first by an Avenger, or at least someone dressed as the Marvel icon. The the Walk of Fame was also, in pre-COVID times, where people in superhero costumes solicited tips for posing for photos with tourists.
Trump's star will be replaced yet again. "Any star, which is vandalized or destroyed, no matter which honoree it belongs to will be replaced by the Hollywood Historic Trust," said the trust's CEO, Rana Ghadban. "When people are angry with one of our honorees, we would hope that they would project their anger in more positive ways than to vandalize a California State landmark. Our democracy is based on respect for the law. People can make a real difference by voting and not destroying public property."
Indeed, early voting began today in California, and state residents also began receiving mail-in ballots—so our fugitive Hulk cosplayer has a chance to make an even stronger impact. There's no doubt Trump has ardent ers, but to many, especially in the Los Angeles area, it was only fitting that an Avenger took the fight to Trump's sidewalk star—especially a hero fueled by anger, much like the politician whose star he smashed. But who was this mysterious superhero who vanished into nowhere after smashing the sidewalk? Could it be that, after releasing his anger on the concrete, the Hulk morphed back into Bruce Banner and simply walked away from the scene of the crime? Whatever the truth, we'll soon know whether the drama around Trump's sidewalk star will subside—or rage on for another four years.
Source: L.A. Times
