Veteran Charged After Burning US Flag to Protest Trump Order

On August 29, 2025, federal prosecutors filed charges against Jan "Jay" Carey, who burned a U.S. flag outside the White House. Carey's protest was in response to President Trump's executive order targeting flag burning. Trump's order was designed to bypass the Supreme Court's 1989 ruling in *Texas v. Johnson*, which protects flag burning as a form of symbolic speech under the First Amendment.

Carey, who identified himself as a military veteran, stated he was testing the legality of the executive order. He was charged with lighting a fire in an undesignated area and in a manner that caused damage to park resources—both Class "B" misdemeanors carrying a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a small fine.

Trump's executive order directed the Justice Department to prioritize cases against flag burning by finding violations of "content-neutral laws," such as those related to inciting violence or disorderly conduct. The order also suggested challenging the 1989 Supreme Court ruling with a more conservative bench.

[Link to WUSA9 article?ref=yanuki.com]

[Link to White House statement?ref=yanuki.com]

[Link to CBS News article?ref=yanuki.com]

He was protesting President Trump's executive order that aimed to criminalize flag burning.

He faces two misdemeanor charges: lighting a fire in an undesignated area and causing damage to park resources.

The order directed the Justice Department to prosecute flag burning, attempting to circumvent Supreme Court protections for it as free speech.

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