While the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that those who choose to burn the American flag are protected by the First Amendment, President Donald Trump has joined others in disagreeing that it's ok to commit such an act.
According to the Daily Mail, Trump was set to sign an executive order last week that would criminalize the burning of the flag, only to abruptly cancel the signing for unknown reasons.
The president, in the past, has taken a bold stance on what he considers would be fair punishment for burning the flag, which could include jail time or stripped citizenships for certain people.
The move to cancel the executive order signing reportedly left many at the White House puzzled, given how strong the president feels about the issue.
Trump's executive order would have had massive implications for those who have already have flag burning cases on their record.
The Daily Mail noted:
Under Trump’s order that's now on hold, the DOJ would review already existing cases of flag burning to see if other charges unrelated to the flag burning could be brought forward.
For example, the order reportedly directed the DOJ to prosecute protesters for crimes such as public nuisance or disorderly conduct laws, according to a report from NewsNation.
President Trump feels so strongly about the issue that, during his 2024 campaign, he floated the possibility of introducing a constitutional amendment that would exclude flag burning from the protections of free speech.
During the heigh of the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles earlier this year, Trump called flag burners "animals" during an event with U.S. troops.
"These are animals, but they proudly carry the flags of other countries. They don't carry the American flag," Trump said at the time.
The outlet said that at this time, it was unclear why Trump canceled the signing of the EO. It also wasn't clear if the idea is dead in the water or if the president will move to sign it at a later date.
Trump's supporters praised the president prior to the cancellation, with many strongly agreeing that flag burners should be punished.
"Finally! I always thought it was strange that people could burn a flag in the street, but if I brought a box out to the street and set it on fire, I would be charged," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Anyone who burns the flag will be arrested and imprisoned."
Only time will tell if the president revisits the issue. Many hope he will.
