A retired Army veteran set an American flag ablaze in front of the White House, testing the limits of free speech just hours after a new executive order targeting flag burning was signed by President Trump, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. The dramatic protest in Lafayette Park drew crowds, sparked debate, and ended in arrest—raising fresh questions about the boundaries of the First Amendment. Jay Carey, 54, of North Carolina identified himself as a disabled combat vet who spent over two decades in uniform, telling the crowd, "I fought for every single one of your rights," before arguing that burning the flag is a First Amendment right.
The demonstration came just hours after Trump signed an executive order urging legal action against flag burners—despite a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that declared flag burning protected speech under the Constitution. "No president can make a law, period," Carey declared, calling Trump an "illegal fascist president" and then torching the accelerant-soaked flag.
As bystanders filmed and voiced support for Carey's rights, Secret Service officers stepped in, handcuffing him and removing him from the scene. Carey spent only a few hours in custody before being released that night. He later posted a video on TikTok explaining that he'd been charged with lighting a fire in the park, not with flag desecration. US Park Police confirmed the arrest, citing prohibited fire as the reason; it is illegal to light a fire in non-designated areas of land controlled by the National Park Service, Live 5 News reports. Carey, who previously lost a Democratic congressional primary in North Carolina, has been a vocal critic of Rep. Chuck Edwards and Trump, including being escorted from an Edwards town hall earlier this year.
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