Trump threatens protesters who threw red paint on George Washington statue with 10-year prison sentence

Donald Trump threatened the people suspected of throwing paint on a George Washington statue in New York with “10 years in prison” in a tweet, taking his feud with activists toppling monuments a step further.

We are tracking down the two Anarchists who threw paint on the magnificent George Washington Statue in Manhattan, the president claimed, adding: We have them on tape.

They will be prosecuted and face 10 years in prison based on the Monuments and Statues Act, he wrote.

Turn yourselves in now!, he added.

A statue of former US President George Washington is covered in red paint after being vandalized in Washington Square Park in New York (EPA)

Anti-racist demonstrations across the country — sparked by the police-involved killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man — have led to protesters toppling and defacing monuments in recent weeks. 

The president has responded by saying he authorized federal law enforcement to “arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue, or other such federal property” earlier this month. 

However, no such authorization is required, as multiple news outlets have reported, making the president's claims dubious.