It’s official: The President is cracking down on monument mayhem.

As previously covered by RedState’s streiff (with one of my favorite RS headlines of all time), on Tuesday, Trump tweeted against those wishing to take down or otherwise damage U.S. property:

“I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such Federal property in the U.S. with up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent. This action is taken effective immediately, but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exceptions!”

…..This action is taken effective immediately, but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exceptions!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 23, 2020

Friday night, protection took another step forward — the Commander-in-Chief signed into action an order seeking to safeguard national monuments with the leverage of federal funding.

I just had the privilege of signing a very strong Executive Order protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues – and combatting recent Criminal Violence. Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our Great Country!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2020

In the order, he christens the protestors.

As reported by The Daily Caller, the EO “frames the recent moves by protesters across the country to topple various statues and monuments as ‘criminal acts,’ organized by ‘agitators who have traveled across State lines to promote their own violent agenda.'”

It also asserts that, perhaps, people don’t know who they’re toppling. Or at least care:

In the last week, vandals toppled a statue of President Ulysses S. Grant in San Francisco. To them, it made no difference that President Grant led the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy in the Civil War, enforced Reconstruction, fought the Ku Klux Klan, and advocated for the Fifteenth Amendment, which guaranteed freed slaves the right to vote. In Charlotte, North Carolina, the names of 507 veterans memorialized on a World War II monument were painted over with a symbol of communism.

The order instructs the DOJ and Attorney General Bill Barr to prosecute anyone who “destroys, damages, vandalizes, or desecrates a monument, memorial, or statue within the United States or otherwise vandalizes government property.”

According to the New York Post, the dictate also extends to “religious property” — specifically Jesus as well as any “other religious figure or religious art works.”

In addition, Bill’s directed to take legal action against “any person or any entity that participates in efforts to incite violence or other illegal activity in connection with the riots and acts of vandalism.”

And here comes the leverage: Any “state and local governments that have failed to protect public monuments, memorials, and statues from destruction or vandalism” won’t be getting any federal grants.

Furthermore, executive branch agency heads are told to ensure all federally-funded programs comply with the order.

The guy means business — also Friday, he tweeted out photos of 15 people who attempted but failed to topple a monument to Andrew Jackson facing the White House.

He repeated: “10 year sentences!”

MANY people in custody, with many others being sought for Vandalization of Federal Property in Lafayette Park. 10 year prison sentences! @FBIWFO pic.twitter.com/mrLyxbWNvq

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2020

Will this be the end of Monument Mania?

And what constitutes protection? For the governor of North Carolina and mayor of Philadelphia, looking out for public safety means simply beating the protestors to the punch — and removing statues by governmental means.

This next week should be particularly revealing: If the Agents of Change are unimpressed, we’ll see more ropes tied to more relics — and perhaps better employed, thanks to Popular Mechanics. Will there also be uniformed resistance to the mob?

Stay tuned for an exciting amount more to come.

-ALEX

See 3 more pieces from me:

After Protestors Topple Two Statues in North Carolina, the Governor Orders Others Removed for ‘Public Safety’

New Approach to Leadership? Philadelphia Mayor Wants Threatened Christopher Columbus Statue Removed for ‘Public Safety’

Splitting Headache: New York Stabbing Victim Walks Around With a Giant Knife Stuck in His Head (VIDEO)

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