Donald Trump wants to jail flag burners for one year if he wins second term

Supreme Court has ruled it is protected under constitution

Donald Trump says he wants to jail anyone who burns the American flag for one year if he wins a second term.

The president made the promise at his latest campaign rally and earned huge cheers from the crowd of supporters at the Make America Great Again event in Greenville, North Carolina.

Mr Trump brought up the issue as he blamed White House rival Joe Biden’s supporters for flags being burned during racial justice protests this year.

“So the candidate whose supporters are burning American flags, and I say all the time let’s put in some kind of major, major resolution that if you burn an American flag you spend one year in jail, do it,” said Mr Trump.

“That is where the politicians are weak, and I think it lost 5-4 in the Supreme Court but now we have a new Supreme Court.”

Unfortunately for Mr Trump burning the Stars and Stripes is a constitutionally protected act in the US.

The Supreme Court upheld the rights of protestors to burn the American flag in a landmark 1989 First Amendment decision.

The justices ruled 5-4 in favour of Gregory Lee Johnson, the protestor who burned the flag, and ruled it was protected as an act of free speech.

Mr Trump then went on to boast of the three Supreme Court Justices he would have put in place during his first time.

Amy Coney Barrett is on the verge of having her nomination confirmed by the US Senate to fill the vacant seat created by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“I have three in the first term and their heads are exploding, these people can’t believe it. We have three.

“We have got it done, it looks like it is going to get done. It’s very exciting.”

The president continued to sing the praises of Ms Barrett and ripped the Democrats on the Senate judiciary committee.

“She is flawless, she has not made any mistake and she is toying with those Democrats, those evil people, evil people,” added Mr Trump.