EXECUTIVE ORDER/STATUES: “On June 23, Trump claimed that he had ‘authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue…with up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent…’
One of the laws cited in the order is the “destruction of government property” which carries a potential ‘fine of up to $250,000, ten years imprisonment, or both’ if the purposeful damage to government property exceeds $100. The law has been around since 1964…
These laws have been on the books for many years. Trump has not recently authorized the Department of Justice to pursue these cases but has ordered the attorney general to prioritize them.”
-Holmes Lybrand, “Fact-checking Trump’s statements on statue vandals,” cnn.com, June 30, 2020