According to White House officials, President Donald Trump is no longer expected to sign an executive order on Thursday directing the Justice Department to pursue charges against those who burn the American flag.
A White House official told CNN earlier Thursday that Trump was expected to sign the order, which did not explicitly criminalize the act of burning the American flag.
Instead, it was expected to direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate cases of flag burning and determine whether charges could be brought under existing laws.
That official, along with another, later stated that Trump was no longer expected to sign it on Thursday; it was unclear whether the order would be signed later.
A 1989 Supreme Court decision ruled that burning the American flag in political protest is protected by the First Amendment.
