During an interview on Thursday, former President Donald Trump said he wants anyone who desecrates the American flag to be sentenced to one year in jail.
The remarks from the Republican nominee came while he appeared on “Fox & Friends” and was asked about the anti-Israel protests over the war in Gaza happening in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
Some of those protesting outside Union Station were burning the flag, which Trump said deserved a “one-year jail sentence.”
“Now, people will say, ‘Oh, it’s unconstitutional.’ Those are stupid people. Those are stupid people that say that,” Trump said. “We have to work in Congress to get a one-year jail sentence. When they’re allowed to stomp on the flag and put lighter fluid on the flag and set it afire, when you’re allowed to do that — you get a one-year jail sentence, and you’ll never see it again.”
Trump went on to say that the rest of the world is watching what’s going on, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un look at us and think “we’re a bunch of babies.”
“They see that, that wouldn’t happen in their countries… we look so bad to the world,” Trump said.
Burning an American flag has been ruled a constitutionally protected act of free speech under the First Amendment. It was settled in the 1989 case Texas v. Johnson, with the court ruling 5-4.
Protests outside Union Station erupted while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the United States Capitol to members of Congress about his country’s war with Hamas.
At one point, protesters took down an American flag and burned it while others replaced it with a Palestinian flag. Someone eventually ran into the crowd and grabbed the American flag.
Both Democrats and Republicans have condemned the protests.
Six protestors were arrested at the scene, according to D.C. Metropolitan Police, and another five were arrested in the House gallery during Netanyahu’s speech. Five more were arrested marching down Constitution Avenue.