President Donald Trump is 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, a White House official told CNN.
The order is not expected to outright criminalize the act of burning the American flag, the official said, but rather directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to review cases where the flag has been set on fire and determine whether charges can be brought under existing laws.
A 1989 Supreme Court ruling determined that burning the American flag in political protest is protected under the First Amendment.
NewsNation first reported Trump’s plans for the executive order.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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