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/

---

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)