Veteran Detained for Burning a Flag in Protest of Trump's Executive Order

A US veteran was arrested on Monday after setting fire to an American flag near the White House in protest of President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that act will be prosecuted.

The Details: Jay Carey is a retired combat veteran of 22 years. He said, “I fought for every single one of your rights to express yourself however you feel that you may want to express yourself. It is a First Amendment right to burn the American flag.” He continued, “We burn this flag in protest to that president who feels that it's his right to do whatever he wants, make whatever law he wants, regardless if it's legal or illegal.” Secret Service agents detained him because he violated a law prohibiting setting fires in federal parks.

For Context: Hours before this incident, Trump signed an executive order directing federal prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against people who burn American flags. A Supreme Court case in 1989 protected flag burning as political speech under the First Amendment, but the order instructs prosecutors to look for other avenues of prosecution, such as violation of environmental or safety laws.

How the Media Covered It: NewsMax (Right bias) included quotes from Carey. It also noted that “Trump's order does not itself establish the one-year jail penalty he mentioned” but rather asks the Attorney General to pursue legal clarification on First Amendment limits. Daily Beast (Left) wrote that Trump’s order “attempts to skirt the court’s stance” protecting flag burning as free speech. Newsweek (Center) noted that “Civil liberties advocates and constitutional scholars have questioned both the legality and the merit of Trump's action.” It also noted that Carey previously went viral for “hurling expletives at Republican Representative Chuck Edwards” at a North Carolina town hall event.

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