Rep. Sean Duffy Disagrees With Trump on Flag Burning Penalties

Republican Rep. Sean Duffy doesn't agree with President-elect Donald Trump that there should be penalties to punish people who burn the flag.

The Wisconsin lawmaker broke with Trump, who on Tuesday tweeted:

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016

But Duffy, appearing on CNN's "New Day" program, openly disagreed with Trump.

"I don't think we want to make this a legal issue," he said. "So I disagree with Mr. Trump on that…"

Duffy stressed that he loved the flag, but believed it was the right of Americans who want to protest to burn it.

"I think the court is probably right that we want to protect those people who want to protest and their right to actually demonstrate with disgracing our flag, even though so many of us who love our country and love our flag object to it," he said.

CNN noted the U.S. Supreme Court has twice affirmed the right to desecrate the flag as a form of free speech.

• Trump: Strip Flag Burners of Citizenship
• Rep. Kevin McCarthy: Flag Burning Protected, But Not Accepted