EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump took a lot of hits today and not just in the presidential race. With less than two weeks to go before America decides if the ex-Apprentice host will pull off a surprise victory over Hillary Clinton, Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was destroyed early Wednesday morning.

The attack, by a man dressed as a city construction worker, on the sidewalk-embedded five-point terrazzo and brass star, happened at around 5:45 a.m. on Hollywood Boulevard. Located right near the Dolby Theatre, Trump’s star was dedicated in 2007 in recognition of his work fronting and firing on the 2004-debuting NBC series. Apprentice EP Mark Burnett, Larry King, and Tonight Show host Jay Leno all spoke at the ceremony for Trump, almost a decade ago.

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The more than 2,500 stars up and down the boulevard are maintained by the Hollywood Historic Trust and chosen by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce — which is probably just learning now what happened this morning to Trump’s star.

View photos Donald Trump receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles, America - 16 Jan 2007 More

Speaking to Deadline, the vandal, who said his name was Jamie Otis, indicated that he originally intended to remove Trump’s star to auction it off next month to raise funds for the women who have come forward to accuse Trump of sexually assaulting them over the decades. [Editor's note: It's unclear how that would happen, as the star would be stolen property.]



In the past few months, 11 women have claimed that the Republican POTUS candidate groped or otherwise attempted to get intimate with them. At a rally earlier this week, Trump told supporters that the accusers were not telling the truth and that he would sue them after the Nov. 8 election.

Usually one of the most-crowded spots in L.A. during the daytime, there was almost no one around in the predawn hours as the vandal attacked Trump’s star with a sledgehammer and pickaxe. Moving fast and with apparent planning, the defacer attracted little attention except from a few passersby. There was no LAPD presence in the usually well-patrolled tourist spot, just across from where Jimmy Kimmel Live! is filmed most weekdays.

This is, of course, not the first time the controversial GOP candidate’s star has been attacked or defaced since Trump announced his White House bid back in the summer of 2015. A reverse swastika was sprayed on the star at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. in late January. In June, a mute sign was painted on Trump’s star in an apparent protest against the antagonistic language and policies Trump is accused of promoting and reveling in during the campaign. In both cases, Trump’s star was quickly restored within a day.

In July, an L.A. street artist surrounded the Trump star with a tiny wall topped by tiny razor wire to knock the candidate’s much-repeated plan to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico if elected. Like other designs on the Trump star, the little wall was soon removed.

Despite a petition to remove the Trump star from Hollywood Blvd., the Chamber of Commerce has said it’s staying — until today, it seems.

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