Donald Trump Jr. has called for statues being pulled down across America to be replaced with a 'more sturdy' likeness of his father.
The president's son waded into the debate over racist and Confederate monuments in public places Tuesday, tweeting his suggestion that a statue of President Trump be erected in the place of any downed figure.
'Want to save our monuments? Let's get a movement going to replace any statue torn down during these riots with a new and more sturdy statue of @realDonaldTrump,' he wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning.
'The nonsense would stop instantly.'
Donald Trump Jr. called for statues being pulled down across America to be replaced with a 'more sturdy' likeness of his father in a social media post Tuesday
Twitter users were less sure of the idea with several mocking his suggestion, saying the whole point of the statues being taken down is 'to erase the monuments to racism'.
'The point of removing the statues is to erase the monuments to racism and intolerance, putting up a statue of RACIST @realDonaldTrump would mean we are continuing to erect monuments to racism,' one person tweeted.
Others pointed out irony in the president's son's idea.
'Not sure he understands what he's saying here,' one person flagged.
'A permanent statue of my father is such a horrible thing that the threat of Trump replacement statues will deter ppl from tearing down Confederate-type statues "Hey guys, a confederate statue is the lesser of two evils, amirite?"'
However, Trump Jr's suggestion sparked memories for some of the five identical nude statues of Trump that sprung up in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle, and New York City back in 2016.
The figures were put up by anarchist collective INDECLINE who took inspiration from story 'The Emperor's New Clothes' about stripping an overly confident leader of his clothes.
The president's son Donald Trump Jr. (left) waded into the mounting debate over racist and Confederate monuments in public places Tuesday, tweeting his suggestion that a statue of President Trump (right) be erected in the place of any downed figure
Several people replied to Trump Jr's post with an image of the statues with one simply sharing a picture with the line: 'Already been done...'
Trump Jr's tweet came hours after the president announced that any protesters vandalizing or tearing down statues could be slapped with 10 years jail time.
'I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such Federal property in the U.S. with up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent.....' Trump tweeted Tuesday morning.
'This action is taken effective immediately, but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exceptions!'
Twitter users were less sure of the idea with several mocking his suggestion
Just hours earlier he had tweeted that 'numerous' people were arrested following last night's protests in Lafayette Park in Washington DC after demonstrators tried to pull down a bronze statue of former president Andrew Jackson.
He also said he was planning to sign yet another executive order to target protesters trying to remove racist statues.
Trump blasted what he called the 'disgraceful vandalism' of the 'magnificent' statue of the controversial general Jackson, who Trump has touted as a personal hero.
Statues, flags and displays of Confederate or racist symbols and historical figures are being removed across America, amid widespread protests calling for an end to systemic racism following the death of black man George Floyd at the hands of a white cop in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.
The American Museum of Natural History in New York is removing a statue of Theodore Roosevelt, flanked by a Native American man and African American man
A statue from the Richmond Howitzers Monument lies after being toppled by protesters against racial inequality overnight in Richmond, Virginia, last week
Several officials and institutions have pledged to remove them while, in some cases, protesters have taken matters into their own hands and toppled monuments linked to the Confederacy and slavery.
On Sunday, the American Museum of Natural History announced plans to remove a statue of Theodore Roosevelt from its entrance after years of objections that it symbolizes colonial expansion and racial discrimination.
The bronze statue in the New York City museum depicts Roosevelt on horseback with a Native American man and an African man standing next to the horse.
'The American Museum of Natural History has asked to remove the Theodore Roosevelt statue because it explicitly depicts Black and Indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior,' New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a written statement.
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