The West Hollywood City Council voted unanimously on Monday to move forward with the process of removing Donald Trump’s star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the move is “largely symbolic,” as approval of the proposed resolution, which cites President Trump’s “disturbing treatment of woman” and “other actions,” essentially serves as a strong recommendation. The only body with actual jurisdiction over the decision is the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. While the West Hollywood City Council does not have final say in the matter, the move comes amid a string of headlining incidents involving the president’s pre-political souvenir.
In fact, the most recent tagging incident with the landmark took place on July 25, in which 24-year-old Austin Clay took a pickax to the star. Clay was released a day later from the Los Angeles County Police Department. His bail price was set at $20,000.
Despite having been fortified by a makeshift toy wall in June 2016— in a protest by local Hollywood artist Plastic Jesus— the star has fallen victim to multiple destructive efforts. Later that same year, a middle-aged man by the name of James Otis vandalized the star in a way similar to that of his younger counterpart, with both a pickax and a sledgehammer. In an interview with the New York Times, Otis pledged to assist Clay with legal fees.
President Trump, then a civilian, was first awarded his spot on the Walk of Fame in 2007, as his business-themed reality show, The Apprentice, reached the apex of its popularity. Following inflammatory comments made by then-candidate Trump throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, the question to remove the star quickly became a cause célèbre.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, however, has never actually revoked a celebrity’s star from the Walk of Fame— even in the #MeToo era. Despite allegations detailing various degrees of sexual harassment and assault, the stars of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Kevin Spacey still remain in place.
In a statement to CNN, Hollywood Chamber President Leron Gubler claimed that as of now, “there are no plans to remove any stars from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
