Social Media Erupts as US Flag Seen on the Ground Behind Trump at White House

(Screenshot/Jose Luis Magana/AP photo)

It’s a scar-spangled banner for President Donald Trump.

As the president returned from Palm Beach on Monday night, some eagle-eyed social media users were quick to point out that as he walked, an American flag could be seen on the ground behind him, a clear violation of the U.S. Flag code.

The code states the following: “The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.”

It was a surprising sight for the Trump White House, especially given Trump’s advocacy for Old Glory.

In 2017, he attacked NFL players who knelt for the playing of the national anthem, saying, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired.'”

Over the summer, Trump signed an executive order to criminalize flag-burning.

A photo of a haggard-looking Trump on Sunday night with the flag behind him, taken by Getty Images photographer Mandel Ngan, has been widely shared on social media, with users attacking Trump over the imagery:

A clearer image of just the flag on the ground was also posted:

The White House did not immediately return a call for comment by Mediaite, but later responded on X to a headline from Newsweek.

“FAKE NEWS (as usual). The beautiful American Flag that was installed by President Trump never touched the ground. It was lowered into a special container out of an abundance of caution during the Marine One landing due to high winds,” wrote the White House’s Rapid Response account to a post that read, “An image of the American flag lying on the ground at the White House has circulated online, sparking questions and concerns.” The White House account did not offer any further evidence for its claim.

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