Guess Which News Network Probably Prompted Trump’s Unconstitutional Tweet About Burning The Flag?

This morning, President-elect Donald Trump once again showed a shocking disregard for the U.S. Constitution when he tweeted that flag burners should be jailed or stripped of citizenship. It turns out we can probably thank Fox News’ unceasing effort to demonize dissenters for this latest round of authoritarianism.

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

In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has specifically ruled that burning the flag is free speech protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. It’s not clear whether Trump – who doesn’t know what the 13 stripes on the flag mean – is just as ignorant about the Constitution or thinks he’s entitled to ignore it. Or both.

One thing we do know is that Trump thinks that stifling free speech and dissent is time better spent than, say, reading his daily intelligence briefings.

Any regular Fox News watcher is well aware that the “fair and balanced” network regularly wraps itself in the flag in order to whip up hatred and intolerance among its viewers for their fellow Americans with different political views. So I immediately suspected something on Fox News prompted Trump’s fascist tweet.

ABC News’ Katherine Faulders confirmed my suspicions. She noted that Fox just happened to air its latest stand for the flag (and against free speech) at the same time that Trump tweeted.

Timing of Trump's tweet lines up w/ Fox segment at 6:25AM on students burning the flag https://t.co/W7G4Hlw1O6 https://t.co/8M0AC4EfQy
— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) November 29, 2016

By the way, this was just one of a series of such segments on Fox News attacking Hampshire College’s American rights in the name of patriotism.

Watch Stephen Colbert hilariously expose Trump’s ignorance about the flag below, on The Colbert Report on July 15, 2008.

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Showing 8 reactions

commented 2016-12-01 06:33:05 -0500 · Flag

Janet, I meant old man Bush, George H W Bush, who lives here in Houston. By current standards he’s up there with Ike. If things get even worse people might compare him to Lincoln. At the current time I have a lower opinion of George W. Bush than Trump. But that may change depending on how the cards play out.

commented 2016-11-30 22:39:56 -0500 · Flag

Every day reveals another facet of Der Donald that makes me laugh and feel nauseated at the same time.

Most elementary school children know more about our history, The Constitution and the Federal Government than he does.

David Lindsay — Did you mean G-Dub, not Daddy Bush?

commented 2016-11-30 15:42:24 -0500 · Flag

So in Trump’s America, if you burn a flag you should be in jail, but if you burn a cross you should be in his administration.

Tip of the hat to Mathew A Cherry

commented 2016-11-30 00:35:08 -0500 · Flag

Hold on John McKee. I think Trump is the accidentall President. Republicans voted and democrats sat on their asses.

I think Trump wants to be anywhere but 1600 Pennsylvania. He’s picked the cabinet from hell. And now he must proceed.

There is an analogy between Trump and a porn star that I’m not ready to give. But soon.

commented 2016-11-29 23:12:09 -0500 · Flag

Not that I want to be alarmist, but one possible outcome of the current situation is an attempted coup, followed by actual civil war. Everything that can be done to avoid that sort of escalation must be done, and with absolute urgency. Going along to get along is only enabling the crazies to embed themselves.

commented 2016-11-29 22:34:26 -0500 · Flag

This is the man whose favourite books are the Bible and the Collected Speeches of Adolf Hitler. And which bits did he like the best? All of ’em, Katie.

commented 2016-11-29 17:04:46 -0500 · Flag

Trump is either very shrewd in sending a tingle up the leg of his flag waving nationalist base or is a complete idiot. Either way he’s a loser. 👍

commented 2016-11-29 14:40:23 -0500 · Flag

Faux is gonna have to learn more jiu jitsu if they are to keep up with whatever flop flops out of the Donalds mouth. Free speech has always been about protecting unpopular speech. So now the likes of the tea party can go straight to hell cuz now Faux is about protecting the status quo.

Hah!!! Jiu Jitsu!!!

I think I just saw George H W Bush’s motorcade going through the Tanglewood neighborhood a half hour ago. My God. H W Bush seems like freaking Dwight David Eisenhower now.