In January, promotional posters for “Melania,” a documentary film about the first lady, were installed at bus stops across Los Angeles.
But soon, the posters began to accumulate graffiti, photos show: devil horns scribbled atop her head, a Hitler-style mustache and scrawled expletives referring to her husband’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
L.A. Metro officials said the vandalism spree was “extensive and severe,” and occurred after federal immigration agents last weekend shot and killed U.S. citizen Alex Pretti amid widespread tumultuous protests in Minneapolis.
The agency, worried that vandals would also target actual buses sporting ads for Melania Trump’s namesake documentary, decided to move the vehicles to other locations where there are fewer such concerns, Metro spokesperson Patrick Chandler said Thursday.
“Given that Metro buses have had significant vandalism and damage during previous periods of heightened public activity, we made the decision in the interest of protecting our riders, employees and assets, and out of an abundance of caution, to shift some of these buses to areas where we were not observing that vandalism,” Chandler said in the emailed statement.
The ads have run for three weeks so far, out of a four-week ad buy. The “Melania” documentary, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, is set to be released in theaters on Friday.
The L.A. area has contended with much vandalism related to President Trump over the years. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for example, was continually defaced during his first term — including with a spray-painted swastika and a “mute” icon — and was reportedly vandalized again recently.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which operates the Walk of Fame, has previously said it has no plans to remove the star. Officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
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