A petition to remove Donald Trump’s star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame has received thousands of signatures, but the decision on whether to remove the star is just as controversial as the man whose name is on it.
Trump’s star, which he received in 2007, has been destroyed and replaced several times, but no star has ever been permanently removed from the Walk of Fame despite several celebrities’ fall from grace.
The man who started the petition to get rid of Trump’s star for good, Andrew Rudick, says that while he has garnered more than 3,800 signatures for his petition, he’s also been the subject of a death threat and an attempted taser attack.
Rudick told KTLA 5’s Mary Beth McDade that in addition to the petition, he has gone to several city organizations in the hopes that they would remove it permanently.
“I think the city should take themselves up on that charge and finally stop being ‘paper lion Democrats’ and act,” he said. “Instead of saying ‘We’re going to talk the talk’ you know, you have to walk the walk too…and this is something that can happen.”
Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who represents the area, said in a statement that there is “no known precedent” for removing a star.
“We’re looking into where the authority lies, what the legal issues may be and what a process for it might look like,” Soto-Martinez said.
Despite the controversy that may surround the 45th president, many were seen taking pictures by his star on Wednesday afternoon, but reactions to whether it should be removed permanently were mixed.
“I think that it was of a given time in history and that’s where it should stay regardless of how you feel about it,” one woman said, alluding to Trump’s role as a producer of “The Apprentice” and the Miss Universe Pageant.
“I wouldn’t be sad to see it go,” said a man directly next to her.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce told KTLA that they do not have the authority to remove anyone’s star.
The offices of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and Donald Trump did not immediately respond for comment.