A viral video showing Donald Trump signing an American flag has sparked controversy, with critics alleging he may have breached the US Flag Code. The clip, shared by Patriot Takes on X, depicts Trump using a black marker to sign his name on a white stripe of the flag, while several individuals hold it down around him.
Patriot Takes, an account dedicated to monitoring right-wing extremism, claimed the video was originally posted on Instagram by Margo Martin, Trump’s deputy director of communications.
OH MAN! This leaked video shows Donald Trump violating U.S. Flag Code, which PROHIBITS writing on the United States flag.
18 U.S. Code § 700 establishes fines and imprisonment of up to a year for desecration!! BOOK HIM!
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) September 13, 2024
Trump, who previously emphasized the importance of flag respect in a 2017 address, is familiar with the US Flag Code. According to the US Flag Code, writing on the American flag is considered a violation of the guidelines. Specifically, the code states that the flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
However, the US Flag Code provides guidelines for the respectful treatment of the flag, it is not legally enforceable. The Supreme Court ruled that flag desecration laws are unconstitutional as they violate free speech rights. Therefore, while writing on the flag is against the guidelines, there are no legal penalties for doing so.
The former president has publicly shown affection for the flag in various instances, including hugging it during speeches at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and other events. Hugging the flag is not considered a violation of the Flag Code.
Trump is not the only political figure to face scrutiny over flag-related issues. In June 2023, President Joe Biden was criticized after a Pride event at the White House displayed the US flag alongside the Progress Pride flag, with some arguing it violated flag display protocols.
