Guy who destroyed Trump's Walk of Fame star bailed out by guy who did the same thing years ago
Around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the spirits of Trump-hating Americans were briefly lifted after the former The Apprentice host and current president’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—an honor that, as we like to reiterate as often as possible, means nothing more than the recipient was willing to pay $30,000 to get it—was smashed to pieces.
As The Los Angeles Times tells it, the vandal, since identified as 24-year-old Austin Clay, strolled up to the star, pulled a pickax out of a guitar case, and started bashing away. He then reportedly called the cops on himself, telling them, “see you soon.” His own personal Quentin Tarantino movie complete, he turned himself in to Beverly Hills police about an hour later. He was booked on felony vandalism charges, and his bail set at $20,000. Now, Trump’s star has been peed on, spat on, tagged, covered with stickers, and otherwise defaced countless times since the 2016 presidential election. This wasn’t even the first time someone had smashed it; that happened once before, in November 2016.
That last part is important, as TMZ brings us the delightful update that Clay won’t stay in jail for long, as James Otis—the man who destroyed Trump’s star in 2016—has offered to post his pickax buddy’s bail. Otis is heir to the Otis Elevator Company, the world’s largest elevator and escalator manufacturer which posted revenues of $12 billion in 2015, and so $20,000 presumably is no big deal for him. The heir to a billion-dollar company calling himself a “modern-day Robin Hood” and getting involved in this act of DIY resistance against the orange face of American oligarchy is the richest of ironies, but it was nice of him to post Clay’s bail.
Otis pleaded no contest to his vandalism charge back in 2017, and was ordered to perform 20 days of community service and pay a $4,400 fine. The two men will reportedly meet in person as soon as Otis’ check clears and Clay is released. Whether the knowledge that the heir to the world’s largest elevator manufacturer hates him will be enough to finally get Trump over his rumored fear of stairs remains an open question.