Donald Trump Suggests ‘Loss of Citizenship or Year in Jail’ for Burning American Flag

President-elect Donald Trump suggests that burning the American flag — which is currently protected under the First Amendment — should be punished either by a year in jail or loss of citizenship.

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag – if they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016

The United States Supreme Court previously held that burning an American flag is not illegal and is protected under the First Amendment as “symbolic speech.”

Mediaite suggests Trump took to Twitter about flag burning “perhaps in reaction to the news that a handful of college students in Massachusetts burned a flag this week in protest to the election results.”