From what I can see, Trump really is trying to destroy the United States. He and his sons have set up an alternate economy that they are promoting, while he is jeopardizing and devaluing the US dollar more and more each day (This deserves its own post).
Additionally, he does not respect the flag of the United States. Trump routinely violates and mocks the US Flag Code, as do some of his close cohorts like Secretary Hegseth, as you will see. In my opinion, the divers measure he stoops to disregard the code and disrespect the flag is despicable.
The United States Flag Code
According to the code, only burning a flag in public is punishable by a fine. But there are many ways a person can desecrate the US flag. Let’s look at the code. You can read the US Flag Code in its entirety at the American Legion Website here, but for the purpose of this expose I am just going to highlight the section(s) of the code that Trump, and cronies, love to trample, specifically:
Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1, Section 8, Respect For Flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.
(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.
Bunting of blue, white, and red always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkin or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. (Disposal of Unserviceable Flags Ceremony)
The Flag is a Living Symbol of the United States of America!
The U.S. flag isn’t just fabric—it’s an emblem representative of centuries of shared sacrifice, national unity, and democratic ideals.
Old Glory is more than a banner—it’s a heartbeat of the U.S. It flies over cemeteries, protests, and courthouses alike. But under Trump, it’s been twisted into a costume, a commodity, and a prop for power and deception.
US Flag Code Violation Examples
Essentially, Trump has taken the US Flag and commoditized it, trying to make it his logo, or a marketing gimmick. As if wrapping himself in a US flag, or wearing a custom-made flag garment with lapels, or worn as a cape, or by putting 20 US flags as his speaking backdrop will somehow equate to him being patriotic. I have found four photos that are examples of repeated violations of the US Flag Code by Donald Trump, and his company (Three of Trump and one of Hegseth). I uploaded the four of them to AI and received the following collage below:
In the fourth panel above, Secretary of War Hegseth wears the flag as a custom-made business jacket, which he uses like a flasher would, to shock people into thinking what a patriot he must be, but this dress is also a clear violation of Section 8(d) of the Flag Code, which forbids using the flag as apparel.
Moral Contradiction
A quick visit to the Trump store online reveals a dozen or more items for sale that are definitely in violation of the Flag Code of the United States. Merchandise such as blankets, pillows, and apparel, using Trump-branded US flags, is being sold at an 850% markup. Trump’s T-shirts (some bearing the US flag) are made in China, Bangladesh, or Vietnam (as displayed on the tags) for $3 per unit or less, and are sold for $38. Each of those countries is notorious for sweatshops, often using child labor to produce the merchandise.
When a brand like Trump Store sells $38 t-shirts with patriotic slogans—yet sources them from countries with exploitative labor practices—it’s not just economic hypocrisy: it’s a moral contradiction. Especially when the merchandise wraps itself in the U.S. flag, a symbol of liberty and justice.
It’s not patriotism. It’s pageantry and marketing. It is offensive to those who gave their blood to protect what respect for our flag represents.
I don’t see patriotism. I see disrespect and capitalism/corporatism gone wild. Wrapping yourself in a US Flag does not in any way convert you from traitor to patriot. By doing this, they lead by example. Now, desecrating Old Glory by wearing it as fashion has become a new MAGA trend.
No President in our history has done this stunt. Our past leaders respected the flag—even amid controversy. Even Nixon, in his darkest hour, never wore the flag as a cape. Even Reagan, the master of optics, kept Old Glory off his lapel when it wasn’t earned.
Erosion of Democratic Symbol
When the flag becomes a backdrop for teleprompters, signature sessions, and foreign gifted jets, it stops being a symbol of unity and starts being a costume for empire.
Delegated Authenticity & Performative Patriotism: The Flag as Costume, Not Commitment
In the age of spectacle, patriotism has become less about principle and more about performance. What we’re witnessing—from Trump’s flag-draped rallies to his allies’ theatrical displays—is not reverence for the republic, but a delegated authenticity: the outsourcing of moral credibility to symbols, garments, and slogans that mask deeper contradictions.
Rather than embodying the values the flag represents—sacrifice, unity, civic duty—these figures wrap themselves in Old Glory as if it were a costume for political theater. They violate the Flag Code with impunity, yet claim exclusive rights to patriotism. This is performative patriotism at its most hollow: a chest-thumping allegiance that demands no accountability, no introspection, and no service beyond self-promotion.
Delegated authenticity allows them to borrow the gravitas of the flag without earning it. It’s the illusion of virtue by association—where the mere presence of stars and stripes is meant to silence critique and sanctify power. But true patriotism isn’t worn; it’s lived. And when the flag becomes a prop, the republic becomes a stage.
If the flag is a living thing, then we must treat it with living respect. Not just in fabric, but in principle.
Punishment for Protest, Permission for Desecration
Then Trump dares to use the flag he loves to disrespect as a tool to further erode our constitutionally protected First Amendment activity.
On August 25, 2025, Trump signed an executive order mandating a one-year prison sentence for anyone who burns the American flag. He stated:
“If you burn a flag, you get one year in jail [with] no early exits.”
This move directly defies Supreme Court precedent, especially the landmark Texas v. Johnson (1989) ruling, which affirmed that flag burning is protected symbolic speech under the First Amendment.
If burning the flag is a crime, but dragging it through mud is patriotism, then we’ve lost the thread of what Old Glory stands for.
Legal Contradiction
- The executive order attempts to criminalize expressive dissent, despite decades of constitutional protection.
- It relies on vague language about “inciting violence” or “fighting words,” which courts have historically rejected as justification for banning flag burning.
- Legal scholars and civil rights advocates warn this order is likely unconstitutional and will face court challenges.
MAGA Flag Abuse
Additional to wearing as a garment, MAGA folks/Trump supporters disgrace the US Flag and disrespect the US Flag Code in other ways. Look at these images:
These Flags are not fastened according to Flag Code and certainly are draped in a way that they can be easily soiled by a dirty truck bed/greasy toolbox.
- Section 8(b): “The flag should never touch anything beneath it…”
- Section 8(e): “The flag should never be fastened… in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged…”
Yet these individuals face no punishment, and in many cases, are celebrated by the same administration that seeks to imprison peaceful protesters.
This is a textbook case of delegated authenticity: where the symbol is weaponized, not honored. Trump’s law punishes dissent while permitting desecration—so long as it’s wrapped in loyalty.
Commercial Contamination: When Patriotism Becomes Product
According to Title 4, U.S. Code, Chapter 1, Section 8(g–i), the American flag must never be altered with “any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature”, nor used for “advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever.” This includes printing it on disposable items, packaging, or promotional materials.
Yet Trump’s supporters routinely violate this standard—imprinting slogans, faces, and campaign logos directly onto the flag. These acts don’t honor the flag; they commodify it, turning a symbol of unity into a billboard for political branding. It’s not patriotism—it’s product placement.
Final Reflection: Symbols Demand Substance
Trump’s treatment of the flag isn’t just a breach of etiquette—it’s a breach of trust. When leaders and their followers flaunt the very symbols meant to unite us, while trampling the laws that protect them, they reveal a deeper disdain for the republic itself.
The Flag Code isn’t just ceremonial—it’s a mirror of our civic values. And when that mirror is cracked by performative patriotism and commercial exploitation, it’s up to us to call it out, restore its meaning, and defend the integrity of the nation it represents.
Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
If he isn’t checked and his plans come to fruition, perhaps we will be forced to adopt a new national flag: the flag of the orange absolute dictatorship. It’s times like these that we could use some Divine intervention and assistance from On High!
Please consider not blindly caving to ultra-nationalism, which today seems to be steeped in fanaticism. Rather, consider the wisdom of being a patriot of the entire world. Ultimately, I defer to these heavenly admonishments:
“The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” – Bahá’u’lláh’, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh
“Glory not in love for your own country, but in love for all mankind.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace
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© Robert Wright · CloseoftheAge.com · Sep 27, 2025 · 4:15 AM MDT · Timestamp: The Flag as Costume