President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the Justice Department to pursue criminal penalties against people who “desecrate” the American flag—including by burning it —setting up a direct collision with a landmark Supreme Court ruling that shielded such acts as protected speech.

“All over the world they burn the American flag,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed the order. “The people in this country don't want to see our American flag burned and spit on and by people that are, in many cases, paid agitators.”

While Trump suggested he wanted to charge flag burners in a way that didn’t run afoul of Supreme Court rulings, he also made clear he did not believe flag burning should be viewed as protected speech. "If you burn a flag, you get one year in ja

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