When Donald Trump seemingly erupted out of the blue over the issue of flag burning, it was not just a fleeting half-baked Trump thought. Rather, it was the opening salvo of a coordinated strategy to roll back the First Amendment. Bringing the flag burning issue back up during a Senate campaign swing through the Bayou state today, Trump said:
“I think it’s a disgrace, O.K.?” Mr. Trump said of burning or stamping on the United States flag. “I’m a big believer in free speech, but maybe we’re going to be putting something in” to address the issue, he said. “I think we’re going to have to do something about that.”
In Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), the Supreme Court determined that flag burning is a form of free expression protected by the First Amendment. Classic definitions of fascism include the restriction of rights of free expression. With today’s Supreme Court composition, this legislation would likely get shot down (but three justices are near or past 80 and one seat is vacant). What is certain is that this loose-talk will further rile-up and distract Trump’s base, while doing nothing to improve the lot of the vaunted white working class voters. Trump has talked before about ‘opening up’ libel laws and ‘closing up’ the internet. Where does he really want to take us with this?