Those who “desecrate” the American flag will be prosecuted.
That is according to an executive order President Donald Trump signed Monday, per the Washington Post.
The order also includes detaining and expelling immigrants who do the same.
“All over the country they’re burning flags … through a very sad court … they called it freedom of speech … When you burn the American flag it incites riots … You burn a flag, you get one year in jail,” Trump said.
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The president added it is all about respect.
“I think our nation now is the most respected nation anywhere in the world by far,” Trump said.
“They call me the president of Europe, which is an honor,” he added.
In 1989, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote that flag burning was a protected right under the First Amendment.
In his new order, asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to find a case that could challenge that ruling.
She said prosecuting flag-burning could be accomplished without violating the Supreme Court’s ruling, USA Today reported.
“We will do that without running afoul of the First Amendment,” Bondi said.
A White House official said images of flag burning “alongside violent acts” justified Trump’s order, the Post reported.
Trump took issue with pictures of demonstrators in Los Angeles waving Mexican flags and burning the American flag. They were protesting against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement action in LA over the summer.
“People that burn the American flag should go to jail for one year, that’s what they should be doing, one year,” Trump said after the Los Angeles riots.
“My Administration will act to restore respect and sanctity to the American Flag and prosecute those who incite violence or otherwise violate our laws while desecrating this symbol of our country, to the fullest extent permissible under any available authority,” the order reads.
“The American Flag is a special symbol in our national life that should unite and represent all Americans of every background and walk of life. Desecrating it is uniquely offensive and provocative,” it continues.
