The order authorizes a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment for the wilful injury of federal property and instructs the federal government to prosecute those who commit such offenses to the fullest extent of the law. States and local governments that refuse to protect statues and other historic symbols will be barred from receiving certain support from the federal government.
"The first duty of government is to ensure domestic tranquility and defend the life, property, and rights of its citizens," White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. "Over the last 5 weeks, there has been a sustained assault on the life and property of civilians, law enforcement officers, government property, and revered American monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial. Today, President Donald J. Trump took decisive action to put an end to this lawlessness and protect American streets from vandalism and mob violence."
