On Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted some opinions on flag-burning:
Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!
Twitter exploded with people pointing out that the US Supreme Court has ruled that burning the flag is protected under the First Amendment.
Like it or not, burning the American flag is free speech protected by the First Amendment https://t.co/crIdzDo2EP
I love & honor the American flag. I hate to see it defiled in any way. But, making burning the flag illegal, is bur… https://t.co/Ldt3bMDPmt
For many people, the most concerning part of Trump's tweet was him calling for stripping people of their citizenship for an act protected under the Constitution.
1-Supreme Court ruled it's protected under 1st Amend 2-Very worrisome that in Trump's mind 1 yr of jail is equivale… https://t.co/ziPDYdVMOZ
I mean, at least @realDonaldTrump got the #FirstAmendment trending. He's like Schoolhouse Rock for shitheads.
A quick Google search shows Donald Trump's long-standing love for the flag.
In 2007, officials in West Palm Beach, Florida, voted to fine Trump $1,250 a day for flying an oversized flag above his Florida club without city zoning approval.
As the Washington Post reported this year, Trump eventually settled the case by making a $100,000 donation to charities — not with his own money, but with donations given to his foundation.
A similar dispute at a California club was covered by Comedy Central's The Colbert Report in a 2008 segment called "Difference Makers."
In these segments, Colbert would typically highlight an everyday American citizen fighting a ridiculous law — or reacting to a sensible law in a ridiculous way — and elevate them to hero status.
The segment on Trump painted him as a down-to-earth American patriot, ending with Colbert proclaiming, "What's important is this flag and its message of freedom, a message as important to Donald Trump as it was to the 13 original colonies."
Immediately followed by Trump saying this:
When BuzzFeed News asked the Trump campaign last year about the quote, and whether or not it was taken out of context, they declined to reply.
Watch for yourself:
Disclosure: Jesse McLaren worked at The Colbert Report between 2012 and 2014.