united-states president
Could Trump &quot;trash&quot; the White House?
<p>Assume Trump willingly leaves the White House on January 20th, but acts like a bad tenant being evicted, and decides to destroy existing paintings, busts, etc.  Would he be legally allowed to do this as the current President?  Can he destroy parts or all of the White House?  I know the White House hires <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/style/michael-smith-decorator-obamas-cindy-crawford-rupert-murdoch.html#:%7E:text=Michael%20Smith%2C%20Decorator%20of%20the,Book%20%2D%20The%20New%20York%20Times" rel="nofollow noreferrer">interior decorators</a>, so I'm guessing some parts of the house are removed/destoryed as taste and fashions change.  How is &quot;priceless part of American History&quot; vs. &quot;Shag Carpet&quot; determined?</p>
<p><strong>EDIT</strong></p>
<p>I'm guessing someone would stop Trump if he tried to destroy Bush's Presidential Portrait (or any number of other historical items).  On what grounds would they do this?  We know from the <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/07/17/white-house-moves-clinton-bush-portraits-into-little-used-room/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">news he can move them out of sight</a>.</p>
<p><strong>EDIT 2</strong></p>
<p>Has no president ever tried to get back at an enemy by destroying a portrait?  Trump can't even rip up a document without having <a href="https://time.com/5308542/trump-presidential-records-nixon/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">someone tape it back together</a>.</p>

<p>This would be a violation of <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1361" rel="noreferrer">18 USC 1361</a>, which prohibits destruction of federal property. See also the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1666-destruction-government-property-18-usc-1361" rel="noreferrer">DoJ legal notes on this crime</a>. The act does have to be willful, so dropping a cup accidentally is not a crime. If for example the act is mustaching Obama's portrait, the damage would probably rise to the quarter-million dollar fine and 10 years in prison level. It would of course be at the discretion of the (new) DoJ whether to press charges.</p>
