Does Trump Introduce or Sign a Bill Criminalizing Bending the U.S. Flag?

There is no evidence that former President Donald Trump has introduced or signed any bill making it a crime to bend the U.S. flag. Current actions relate only to flag desecration, particularly flag burning, not bending or other forms of disrespect.

What 

has

 been reported (August 25, 2025):

• Multiple news outlets report that Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Justice to prosecute instances of flag burning—a form of desecration—arguing it incites violence.
  
  • The order does not create new criminal law, nor does it mention bending the flag. It instead instructs the AG to explore charges under existing statutes.
  • Trump stated, “If you burn a flag, you get one year in jail, no early exits, no nothing.”  
  • This directly conflicts with the Supreme Court’s longstanding ruling in Texas v. Johnson (1989), which found flag burning to be protected symbolic speech under the First Amendment.  
• Earlier reports flagged that Senator Josh Hawley introduced the Enhanced Penalties for Criminal Flag Burners Act, which Trump publicly supported. This, too, is focused solely on burning, not bending.