After an anti-POTUS protester reduced the Trump star to rubble using a pickaxe, two men dressed as Russian guards were spotted on the Walk of Fame protecting the remnants of the Hollywood monument.
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The protectors received their fifteen minutes of fame after they were filmed sporting green knee length coats, fur-trimmed hats and holding up a Russian flag amid sweltering heat in Los Angeles.
These two guys stood guard over Trump's Walk of Fame Star and its hilarious. pic.twitter.com/mEhqRXWVVt
— Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) 27 июля 2018 г.
While the star has already been replaced, Trump has not commented on the vandalism.
So this just happened again… somebody used a pick axe to destroy Donald Trump's star on the Walk of Fame. Still trying to learn more, but we know it's been vandalized multiple times, just never on this level. @NBCLA 📸: Victor Park/Loudlabs pic.twitter.com/lzq7YrsSRV
— Jonathan Gonzalez (@JonathanNBCLA) 25 июля 2018 г.
Multiple people — including police — tell me a man walked up with a guitar case and pulled out the pick axe. Then, it’s believed, he called police himself to report it, but left the scene before they got here. Now, he’s nowhere to be found. @NBCLA pic.twitter.com/mJNh1dbO0J
— Jonathan Gonzalez (@JonathanNBCLA) 25 июля 2018 г.
LAPD confirms the suspect has turned himself in to Beverly Hills Police. @nbcla pic.twitter.com/uir15Mfztp
— Jonathan Gonzalez (@JonathanNBCLA) 25 июля 2018 г.
The incident was widely ridiculed on social media:
— Kristen Vandalay (@kristencompton) 28 июля 2018 г.
2 guys dressed as russian soldiers in 90F heat to ``protect`` Trump's Hollywood Walk Of Fame star from vandalism. That's next level trollism! https://t.co/VBlNF0r5oU
— root@eddy:~# (@Asgard_Hydra) 28 июля 2018 г.
Trolling on a galactic level.
— The Mindful American (@MindflAmerican) 29 июля 2018 г.
Well played, California. Russian guards are protecting their Komrade Trump star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.pic.twitter.com/zo42ZwiMj2
— Mia (@thepaperword) 28 июля 2018 г.
Meanwhile, the Colorado state Capitol Hall was hit by an unidentified prankster, who placed a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a space designated for Donald Trump.
As seen in the Colorado State Capitol Hall of Presidential Portraits today…#putinpotus pic.twitter.com/cW2cmqtmWM
— Steve Fenberg (@SteveFenberg) 26 июля 2018 г.
The spot, intended for Trump’s portrait, is reportedly empty because of a lack of donations made to the Colorado Citizens for Culture – the group that pays for presidential paintings.
According to local TV stations, the group had not received any donations to raise the $10,000 needed for Trump’s portrait, with its president Jay Seller saying that normally it took about four months to collect the money for the paintings of his predecessors.
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The two incidents came slightly over a week after Trump and Putin held their first full-fledged summit and joint press conference in Helsinki. POTUS became the target of criticism at home after his comments on the US intelligence assessment of Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election during the presser with Putin, where Trump somewhat hinted he believed the Kremlin had nothing to do with the purported interference.
“He [Putin] just said it’s not Russia. […] I don’t see any reason why it would be, but I really do want to see the server. […] I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,” he said.
Back in Washington, Trump was reportedly forced to do an about-face on his support of Putin’s denial of interference, claiming he had misspoken during the press conference.
“The sentence should have been: I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t or why it wouldn’t be Russia. Sort of a double negative,” Trump said.