Trump Brags 'We Took the Freedom of Speech Away' With Plan to Imprison Flag Burners -- Supreme Court Rejected in 1989

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MEDIAite

Oct 8th, 2025, 4:32 pm


President Donald Trump bragged on Wednesday that his administration “took the freedom of speech away” with a one year penalty for “inciting riots” with flag burning — never mind that the Supreme Court of the United States clearly ruled on this exact issue decades ago.

During remarks Trump delivered from the White House regarding “Antifa” and domestic terrorism, he brought up the flag burning issue. To counter the “flag-burning mob,” said Trump, “we’ve made it a one year penalty for inciting riots.” He continued:

We took the freedom of speech away because that’s been through the courts, and the courts said “you have freedom of speech” but what has happened is when you burn a flag, it agitates and irritates crowds — never seen anything like it, on both sides — and you end up with riots. So we’re going on that basis. We’re looking at it from, not from the freedom of speech, which I always felt strongly about, but never passed the courts.

The Supreme Court has taken a starkly different view from Trump’s framing of the issue, deciding on multiple occasions that flag burning is protected speech, and furthermore rejected arguments that flag burning alone could constitute incitement.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-brags-we-took-the-freedom-of-speech-away-with-plan-to-imprison-flag-burners-supreme-court-rejected-in-1989/

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The flag code calls for tattered and otherwise damaged flags to be burned.

Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1

As Adopted by the National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., June 14-15, 1923, and Revised and Endorsed by the Second National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., May 15, 1924. Revised and adopted at P.L. 623, 77th Congress, Second Session, June 22, 1942; as Amended by P.L. 829, 77th Congress, Second Session, December 22, 1942; P.L. 107 83rd Congress, 1st Session, July 9, 1953; P.L. 396, 83rd Congress, Second Session, June 14, 1954; P.L. 363, 90th Congress, Second Session, June 28, 1968; P.L. 344, 94th Congress, Second Session, July 7, 1976; P.L. 322, 103rd Congress, Second Session, September 13, 1994; P.L. 225, 105th Congress, Second Session, August 12, 1998; P.L. 80, 106th Congress, First Session, October 25, 1999; P.L. 110-41, 110th Congress, First Session, June 29, 2007; P.L. 110-181, 110th Congress, Second Session, January 28, 2008; P.L. 110-239, 110th Congress, Second Session, June 3, 2008, P.L. 110-417, 110th Congress, Second Session, October 14, 2008; P.L. 111-41, 111th Congress, First Session, July 27, 2009; P.L. 113-66 113th Congress, First Session, December 26, 2013; and P.L 115-305 115th Congress, Second Session, March 28, 2017.

(snip)

§ 8. Respect for flag

(snip)

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. (Disposal of Unserviceable Flags Ceremony)

But there are a bunch of things that MAGats violate daily with respect to their phony "flag worship" -

(snip)

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.

(snip)

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkin or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(snip)

[DemMedic]

1. More proof that our politicians need a civics class

Donnie has zero idea of how laws are even made.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Many of the GOP members of Congress

have ZERO knowledge about "how a bill becomes a law".

[TurboDem]

3. Does the flag code say you are allowed to use it, when attached to a pole, to bludgeon

police officers during a riot?

[Layzeebeaver]

5. According to the flag code, it's a bit sketchy

§ 9. Conduct during hoisting, lowering or passing of flag

During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, those present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Citizens of other countries should stand at attention. All such conduct toward the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes.

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Technically speaking if the flag was being hoisted, lowered, or passed - In this instance into the abdomen of a capital police officer, - during a parade or review (and let's keep in mind that supposedly these were tourists - reviewing the capital building and grounds) then they ALL should have been facing the flag, saluting, or standing at attention with their right hand over their hearts - remove all their headdresses. Also while the flag was passing into the capital police officers abdomen all forward advances should have ceased.

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But to be clear, the use of the flag as a weapon is not explicitly prohibited in the flag code. Attempting to kill or injure someone with a flag would therefore be a criminal and/or civil matter.

Also, IAMAL

[Layzeebeaver]

4. Next "riot" err I mean protest strategy...

Use the flag as a means of communication and spray paint messages to ICE on then - for example "ICE GO HOME".

That flag then immediately is no longer a "fitting emblem for display".

You can burn it right there and now...

...or perhaps if you want to avoid the entire "Flag Burning" trope, so just toss it into the wood chipper (which you had delivered earlier) and make sure the exhaust tube is pointed at the nearest ICE outpost.

OH wait! according to the flag code YOU ARE REQUIRED to burn it!

NO WAIT WAIT!!! it only says "dignified"! So as long as all the participants agree it is the "safest" and "most dignified" manner of disposing of the flag AT THAT MOMENT, then your good to go!

FLAG CHIPS AHOY!

And there we go!

[tanyev]

6. But nobody will ever take away Trump's freedom to hump a flag!

[durablend]

7. We all know SCOTUS will *never* go back on a previous ruling

[twodogsbarking]

8. Burning the flag is ok but dry humping it on stage is not.

[mdbl]

9. 'and members of patriotic organizations'

anybody could claim this.

[republianmushroom]

10. But now it is OK to hump the flag as trump does.

[republianmushroom]

11. But now it is OK to hump the flag as trump does.