President Donald Trump hugged the US flag as he arrived to speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. (AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM)
On Saturday, President Donald Trump tweeted his support for a constitutional amendment sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) to ban the burning of the American flag:
All in for Senator Steve Daines as he proposes an Amendment for a strong BAN on burning our American Flag. A no brainer!— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1560603094.0
Some conservative activists have sought a ban on flag burning for years, but even they acknowledge it would have to be done by constitutional amendment, as the First Amendment does not allow a specific form of nonviolent political protest to be singled out for a ban.
Trump's tweet soon drew widespread criticism on social media, with many people criticizing Trump's desire to restrict freedom of speech — and some making fun of Trump's own bizarre conduct with the flag:
Is there an outbreak of flag burning I’m just not aware of? https://t.co/H6q2xRGg67— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss) 1560604884.0
@realDonaldTrump Even Scalia disagrees with prohibiting burning the flag. https://t.co/VcOn4Zn4ki— Dr. Jeffrey Guterman (@Dr. Jeffrey Guterman) 1560603233.0
@realDonaldTrump People who can't afford insulin are dying but ok Donald, everyone protect the magic skycloth— aly murray (@aly murray) 1560603886.0
@realDonaldTrump Literally no brains were used in proposing a flag-burning amendment— Anita Creamer (@Anita Creamer) 1560606496.0
@realDonaldTrump People like Senator Steve Daines and Donald Trump love to play demagogue and are eager to “virtue… https://t.co/8DEjqjN41i— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1560610322.0
@realDonaldTrump What the United States needs more than anything is a Constitutional amendment that allows strong c… https://t.co/OkzbibcmVr— Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie (@Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie) 1560608489.0
@realDonaldTrump What's needed is a ban on grotesquely hugging and thereby demeaning the American flag. https://t.co/QwZmG36CCk— Bill Kristol (@Bill Kristol) 1560609310.0
