Trump no longer expected to sign executive order to punish those who burn American flags [View all]

Source: CNN

Trump no longer expected to sign executive order to punish those who burn American flags

Updated Aug 21, 2025, 3:40 PM ET
PUBLISHED Aug 21, 2025, 12:56 PM ET
By Alayna Treene

President Donald Trump is no longer expected to sign an executive order on Thursday that would direct the Justice Department to try to bring charges against people who burn the American flag, White House officials told CNN.

A White House official had told CNN earlier Thursday that Trump was expected to sign the order, which was not expected to outright criminalize the act of burning the American flag. Instead, it was expected to direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to review cases where the flag had been set on fire and determine whether charges could be brought under existing laws.

That official and another later said Trump was no longer expected to sign it Thursday; it was unclear if the order would be signed at a later date.

A 1989 Supreme Court ruling determined that burning the American flag in political protest is protected under the First Amendment.

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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/21/politics/american-flag-burning-executive-order-trump