President Trump intends to sign an executive order on Thursday aiming to criminalize specific actions related to the burning of the American flag, as has been learned.
The order would instruct Attorney General Pam Bondi to review incidents where individuals have burned an American flag. The aim is to determine whether charges can be pursued under current laws like public nuisance, disorderly conduct, or potential environmental violations, according to two administration officials.
This would not criminalize the actual burning of the American flag, one administration official told .
If someone is injured, for instance, as a result of a flag burning, then charges could be brought, one of the sources explained.
This initiative seeks to bypass legal obstacles since burning the American flag itself is not illegal. On June 21, 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a close decision, upheld protesters’ rights to burn the flag, affirming it as protected speech under the First Amendment.
