President Donald Trump, like tens of millions of other patriotic Americans, hates seeing this nation's beloved and revered flag desecrated and burned by radical leftist activists and protesters.

On Friday, Trump called for American flag burners to be "immediately arrested" and to face up to one year in prison, if prosecuted and convicted, according to Fox News.

That demand is linked to an executive order he issued in August that similarly called for the prosecution of flag burning by protesters, if associated with other crimes that warranted arrest.

"You will be immediately arrested"

In a Truth Social post on Friday, President Trump wrote, "To ICE, Border Patrol, Law Enforcement, and all U.S. Military: As per my August 25, 2025 Executive Order, please be advised that, from this point forward, anybody burning the American Flag will be subject to one year in prison."

"You will be immediately arrested," he added as a direct warning to flag-burning protesters. "Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

As mentioned in his post, Trump did issue an executive order in August on the prosecution of flag burning that has prompted some controversy, according to Fox News, given that the act of burning an American flag, as disgraceful as most Americans find it to be, is presumptively legal.

Indeed, the Supreme Court has twice ruled -- first in 1989's Texas v. Johnson and then again in 1990's U.S. v. Eichman -- that the burning and desecration of an American flag as an act of political protest are protected expressions of free speech under the First Amendment and cannot be outlawed or prosecuted.

Trump's executive order

Nonetheless, on August 25, President Trump issued an executive order titled "Prosecuting Burning of the American Flag," which lamented the desecration by fire of the nation's "most sacred and cherished symbol," which thousands of Americans have "fought, bled, and died" to defend over the decades.

"Desecrating it is uniquely offensive and provocative," the president continued. "It is a statement of contempt, hostility, and violence against our Nation -- the clearest possible expression of opposition to the political union that preserves our rights, liberty, and security."

He further noted that, in some circumstances, the burning of an American flag "may incite violence and riot," as well as that some foreign nationals burn American flags as a "calculated act to intimidate and threaten violence against Americans."

"Notwithstanding the Supreme Court’s rulings on First Amendment protections," Trump added, "the Court has never held that American Flag desecration conducted in a manner that is likely to incite imminent lawless action or that is an action amounting to 'fighting words' is constitutionally protected."

As such, the president ordered the attorney general to "prioritize" the prosecution of any federal crimes violated in connection with flag-burning, and similarly, the referral to local authorities of any state or local crimes that were likewise violated. He also called upon the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to take all possible actions to remove foreign nationals from the country if they were caught burning an American flag.

Protect the free speech, but also "prevent violence and chaos"

In a statement to Fox News, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, "President Trump will not allow the American Flag, a special symbol of our country’s greatness, to be used as a tool to incite violence and riots that jeopardize the safety of everyday Americans."

"President Trump will always protect the First Amendment, while simultaneously implementing commonsense, tough-on-crime policies to prevent violence and chaos," she added.