Charlamagne tha God is “all for free speech,” but believes anyone burning the American flag doesn’t “give a damn” about the country.
The host of “The Breakfast Club” reacted to recent demonstrations and President Donald Trump’s executive order cracking down on burning or desecrating the U.S. flag, directing violators to be prosecuted.
“I understand it’s free speech, but it’s just, like, I always wondered why would you want to do that if you are an American, if you’re a patriot, you know?” Charlamagne, who describes himself as a Democrat, asked this week. “I mean, if you consider yourself a patriot, like, why would you want to burn the American flag?”
(Video Credit: The Breakfast Club)
“You want the country to actually be better, and you want the country to, you know — that flag symbolizes what that country stands for. You want that country to actually stand up for that flag and to stand up for the creed that it puts out there. That’s what you actually want, right?” asked the radio host whose real name is Lenard Larry McKelvey.
“I don’t know, it just reminds me of like when people, you know, burn the jerseys of their favorite players like just because you’re mad,” he observed. “But you still love the team.”
One listener who called in contended that banning the attacks on the flag would be a violation of one’s constitutional right to free speech. Charlamagne questioned the motivation for burning the nation’s symbol.
“I agree, but what I was saying is, I understand free speech, of course, I’m all for free speech,” he said. “But it’s just wild to burn the flag, but then use the Constitution to say you can burn the flag. Because burning the flag means you don’t give a damn about America. So if you don’t give a damn about America, you shouldn’t care about the Constitution, either!”
“For the president to tell me that I can’t do something in this country means he is a dictator,” the caller pushed back. “Otherwise, the Constitution doesn’t matter.”
“I’m not agreeing with what the president is doing,” Charlamagne clarified in response.
“I’m just simply saying, ‘Let’s look at all sides of it,’ because the American flag represents a symbol of freedom, and we want this country to uphold that freedom that it promises. So, it’s just weird to burn the flag, but then still point to the Constitution, democracy, and freedom, and say, ‘That’s what we want,’” he said.
“My Administration will act to restore respect and sanctity to the American Flag and prosecute those who incite violence or otherwise violate our laws while desecrating this symbol of our country, to the fullest extent permissible.” https://t.co/5gYoadDqBj
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 25, 2025
Trump’s executive order notes that the “Attorney General shall vigorously prosecute those who violate our laws in ways that involve desecrating the American Flag, and may pursue litigation to clarify the scope of the First Amendment exceptions in this area.”
The order refers to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the issue, with the 1989 case Texas v. Johnson, where flag burning was seen as a form of protected free speech. But the president’s order contends the Supreme Court has “never held that American flag desecration conducted in a manner that is likely to incite imminent lawless action or that an action amounting to ‘fighting words’ is constitutionally protected.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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