Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence
This executive order, issued by President Trump and signed June 26, 2020, directs federal agencies and the Department of Justice to take aggressive action to protect public monuments, memorials, and statues and to crack down on violence and vandalism associated with recent protests and riots. Its central aim is to deter and punish destruction or desecration of public monuments and government property, and to deter those who incite or participate in violent activities connected to protests. The order also ties federal funding and assistance to compliance with these protections, and it authorizes temporary federal support to bolster local efforts to safeguard monuments and related property. The order sets up a framework where federal enforcement is prioritized, federal funds can be withheld from jurisdictions that fail to protect monuments or law enforcement, and federal personnel can be deployed to assist with protection. It includes protections for religious property and emphasizes that peaceful advocacy about monuments is allowed, but vandalism and violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. It also provides a limited duration for certain protections (six months) unless extended by the President and notes that the order does not create new rights or alter prosecutorial discretion.
Key Points
- 1Strict federal enforcement for monument-related crimes: The order directs that destruction, damage, vandalism, or desecration of monuments, memorials, or statues, and related government property, be prosecuted to the fullest extent under Federal law, referencing existing statutes that govern willful injury to Federal property and related offenses.
- 2Prosecution of violence-inciters and conspiracies: It expands focus to those who incite violence or participate in conspiracies or other illegal activities tied to the riots and vandalism described, invoking multiple U.S. Code provisions that prohibit conspiracies, aiding or abetting crimes, and providing material support to certain offenses.
- 3Protection of religious property: The order emphasizes that damage or defacement of religious property, including depictions of Jesus or other religious imagery, will be prosecuted under applicable federal laws designed to protect religious exercise and property.
- 4Withholding federal support from non-cooperative jurisdictions: It authorizes withholding federal grants and funding tied to public spaces or law enforcement from state/local governments that fail to protect monuments and to enforce laws, signaling a potential reduction in Federal financial support for those jurisdictions.
- 5Temporary federal assistance to protect monuments: It provides for the temporary assignment of federal personnel and resources to assist with protecting federal monuments and property at the request of relevant federal leaders, with the arrangement set to terminate six months after the date of the order unless extended.