In the U.S., federal judge Randolph Moss, appointed during the Obama administration, issued a final ruling allowing the anti-Trump '86 47' flag to be flown near the National Mall.
The progressive group Accountability Now USA had displayed the flag in the area and claimed that the National Park Service's (NPS) threat to revoke its permits violated its First Amendment rights.
Details of the ruling
Washington D.C. District Judge Moss ruled that the flag was protected political speech. The administration had previously interpreted the flag as a political threat, noting that the number '86' is used in the restaurant industry to mean 'remove' or 'refuse service' and that 47 referred to Trump being the 47th president. Moss however assessed that "the 8647 flag ... is not a true threat against the U.S. President or an incitement to violence."
The group also displayed two additional flags accusing Trump of sexually assaulting a minor. Judge Moss ruled that these displays were "not legally obscene" and therefore protected by the First Amendment.
Reactions
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior criticized the ruling in a statement to Fox News Digital. The spokesperson said, "This opinion comes from an Obama-appointed judge. The flying of a flag that constitutes a threat to the Office of the U.S. President should not be allowed under any administration. In what world have we lost all decency that would demand any threat to the president be taken extremely seriously?"
Tensions at the National Mall
The debate over the nature of the flag's message was further inflamed last month when the numbers '8647' were carved into the grass between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial. Federal authorities launched an investigation and collected grass samples from the area.
A series of acts of vandalism directed at the Reflecting Pool and monuments drew particular attention to the National Mall after Trump ordered the restoration and repainting of the Reflecting Pool. According to the White House, 'razor cuts' were discovered in the pool's liner.
As Trump is expected to speak at the 'Salute to America' event on July 4, extensive security measures are being taken in the capital. In April, an assassination attempt was made against Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, where an attacker tried to enter the ballroom. On July 13, 2024, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a bullet that grazed Trump's ear put his life at risk.
