Trump signs executive order to prosecute those who burn US flag in protest with one-year jail

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, 25 August, directing federal prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against people who burn American flags during protests.

The order instructs US Attorney General Pam Bondi to review cases of flag burning and explore potential charges, such as disturbing the peace or violating environmental laws.

Donald Trump signs new policy criminalizing flag burning with one-year jail term

President Trump said the new policy would make a difference in ending protests where flags are set on fire. He described the act as an attack on the nation.

"If you burn a flag, you get one year in jail," Trump said during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

He continued, "The people in this country don’t want to see our American flag burned and spit on ... They’re bad people that are trying to destroy our nation."

He added that the 1989 ruling, which protected flag burning as symbolic speech, had only fueled unrest.

“All over the country they’re burning flags. All over the world they burn the American flag, and as you know, through a very sad court, I guess it was a 5-4 decision, they called it freedom of speech," said Trump.

“But when you burn the American flag, it incites riots, at levels we’ve never seen before,” Trump added. "You will see flag burning stopping immediately."

Pam Bondi backs order while stressing First Amendment compliance

The White House confirmed the directive will send cases to the Justice Department for review. Staff secretary Will Scharf explained that prosecutors would pursue charges “when there's evidence of criminal activity.”

Pam Bondi supported the order and said it could be enforced without breaking constitutional protections. "Thank you for protecting the American flag. And we'll do that without running afoul of the First Amendment as well," said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The 1989 Supreme Court ruling in Texas v Johnson struck down flag-burning bans in 48 states, deciding 5-4 that desecrating the flag qualified as protected political expression under the First Amendment.

Donald Trump takes aim at cashless bail policies

Alongside the order on flag burning, Trump also signed an executive order targeting cashless bail and addressed crime policies in Washington, DC. He announced that federal control in the city was producing results.

"Cashless bail, we're ending it. But we're starting by ending it in DC and that we have the right to do through federalization," Trump said during a signing ceremony in the White House.

He also criticized Illinois Gov JB Pritzker over bail policies.

Trump’s stance on the flag issue is not new. In 2016, he posted: “Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag – if they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!”

Polling suggests public opinion is moving closer to his position. In 2020, YouGov found nearly half of Americans supported outlawing flag destruction, while a September 2023 update showed 59% believed it was “never” acceptable.

Internet reacts to Donald Trump’s flag-burning crackdown

The executive order sparked widespread debate online, with users clashing over free speech versus patriotism.

"Love this!" wrote one person on X. 

Another added, "That’s a huge and controversial step sure to ignite debates on free speech, patriotism, and constitutional rights."

Others warned of legal battles ahead. "That’s a huge move, guaranteed to spark major free speech debates. Flag burning has been protected expression under the First Amendment for decades, so this EO is definitely going to face immediate legal challenges," wrote one user.

"I have to agree 100% with Trump on this one," said another. 

One more wrote, "That’s a big move, let’s see how it impacts future protests and responses."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.