Donald Trump ignores American flag desecration he demostrates patriotic hypocrisy

 Echo opinion published in the Boston Globe by Joan Vennochi

Let’s talk about Donald Trump and American flags

The democracy that those Trump supporters demean - i.e., they want to destroy 😡 gives them the right to that free expression.

In the days leading up to Memorial Day, there was a lot of talk about the flags flown at homes owned by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr.

Judge Samuel Alito is unqualified to serve on the Supreme Court

As The New York Times first reported, an inverted American flag — a symbol embraced by rioters at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — was flown outside Alito’s Virginia home soon after that event. He blamed it on his wife and said he had nothing to do with it. Two years later, a Pine Tree flag, also known as an “Appeal to Heaven” flag, was displayed at Alito’s New Jersey vacation home, the Times subsequently reported. As of this writing, Alito had not responded to questions about the beach house flag, which has also been adopted by “Stop the Steal” MAGA supporters. 

Democrats, however, along with an array of legal scholars and ethicists, have been arguing that Alito should recuse himself from cases involving January 6th because those flags show bias.

They do. But beyond the implications for Alito and the Supreme Court, the flag controversy reveals yet another contradiction about Donald Trump, who is consumed by them. Trump’s kissing, hugging, and caressing of the American flag has turned it into a symbol of allegiance to him and the MAGA movement — so much so that in a blue state like Massachusetts, simply flying an American flag in its proper, upright position can be taken as a statement of support for TrumptiDumpti!

The pickup trucks with streaming American flags invariably boast a Trump sign, too. Trump merchandise is awash with American flags and Trump rallies feature enormous American flags. As a result, non-Trump supporters are not big on flag displays.

As a candidate and as president, Trump also said he would support laws criminalizing flag burning. 

Yet, weirdly, an inverted American flag is a symbol of his favorite movement — the one that supports his false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election. Yet people who believe in the integrity of the electoral process shy away from flying the flag, at least in this part of the country. Isn’t it sad that a former president with such low regard for the democratic process has been able to take ownership of what is supposed to be a symbol of democracy? Like so much about Trump, it doesn’t add up.

From the start, Trump and his supporters have used the flag as a way to divide, not unite. Right after his 2016 election, Trump tweeted, “Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag — if they do, there must be consequences — perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!” While he was president and protests were breaking out over the murder of George Floyd, Trump also said he would support laws criminalizing flag burning and that it was time for the Supreme Court to take up the issue again. Of course, thanks to a landmark Supreme Court decision, the burning of flags is considered protected speech, and so is the inverted flag that Alito said his wife put up.

My father was a World War II veteran who proudly flew a flag outside our home. I have some wonderful photos of him saluting it alongside his then-young grandson. If he were still alive, I’m sure my dad would still fly a flag — as a patriotic American, not as a Trump supporter. That sense of common cause beyond political differences is what’s missing from America right now and no one seems to know how to get it back. But there are moments when we still try. The more than 37,000 American flags that were set up on Boston Common over the Memorial Day weekend to honor the men and women of Massachusetts who have died since the Revolutionary War while serving their country were also a tribute to a shared bond, not necessarily to shared opinions. Flags will wave again during Fourth of July parades and concerts.

At the same time, a former president and current presidential candidate who wraps himself in flags has supporters who are flying upside-down flags as a symbol of resistance to election results. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia went on social media to tell people to turn their American flags upside down while criticizing efforts to hold Trump and others accountable for January 6th. The democracy that those Trump supporters demean gives them the right to that free expression.

Meanwhile, a Supreme Court justice allowed an upside-down flag to be flown outside his home. When it was reported, he expressed no contrition about it or gave any sign that he will recuse himself from cases related to January 6th and Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020, election.

No one should talk about Trump and American flags without thinking about that.