By ELIZABETH WEIBEL
President Donald Trump said people who decide to burn the American flag should receive a “mandatory” sentence of one year in jail.
During a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on Saturday night, Trump spoke about how the United States did not “need more people who want to burn” the American flag, referring to how anti-Israel protesters have burned American flags at demonstrations.
“We do not need more people who want to burn our flag,” Trump told the crowd.
“I watched yesterday, and the day before, they’re burning our American flag. And, I said, I know they say it’s unconstitutional, well, make it not unconstitutional. You burn our American flag, you should get immediately, mandatory, one year in jail.”
“You burn our American flag, you should get, immediately, mandatory, one year in jail.” — President Trump in St. Cloud, MN pic.twitter.com/3CEK27wYNL
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 28, 2024
Trump’s comments come days after pro-Palestinian protesters descended upon Washington, DC, to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress.
Pro-Palestinian protesters set American flags ablaze after taking them down from the flag poles at Union Station and replaced them with Palestinian flags.
This is not the first time that protesters have burned the American flag. In May, pro-Palestinian protesters in New York City draped a Palestinian flag around a memorial, while burning the American flag.
In April, American flags were also burned during pro-Palestinian protests in New York City, as one protester waved a burning American flag, while another set a counter-protesters American flag ablaze.