Trump condemns sledgehammer attack on Iwo Jima memorial

President Donald Trump has labeled the sledgehammer attack on an Iwo Jima memorial near Marine Corps Base Quantico a “disgrace.” The incident occurred near Richmond Highway and Fuller Road in Quantico on Wednesday, October 21.

Prince William County police arrested 27-year-old Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano of Stafford, Virginia, after finding him striking the sculpture. The damage, which included the removal of a figure’s head, is estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Maldonado Soriano faces charges of felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage property, and felony injury to a monument.

During a press interaction, Trump suggested the suspect may have entered the country via the border and commented on the importance of the memorial. Police reports indicate that Maldonado Soriano entered the United States illegally in December 1999. He previously held Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, which was extended under the Biden administration but ended earlier this year under the Trump administration.