The Man Who Burned the Flag

 

This happened yesterday:

Matt Van Swol

@matt_vanswol

#BREAKING: It has been revealed that the man who set fire to an American flag outside of the White House, is a Western North Carolina resident, army combat veteran, and Bronze Star recipient Jay Carey. He said he burned the flag to "protest President Donald Trump..."

Jay Carey has an interesting career in politics. In September 2021, while he was an active candidate in the Democratic primary for the congressional seat of Rep. Madison Cawthorn, Carey took the photograph that revealed a sheath knife hidden on Cawthorn's wheelchair during his appearance before the Henderson County School Board. Going armed in public became a reoccurring theme of young Cawthorn's brief stint in public office.

In March 2025, Carey got escorted out of a Chuck Edwards town hall for yelling at the congressman: 

"You have nothing to say but lies .... I'm a veteran. You don't give a f--k about me!" Carey is a 20+ year Army veteran who served in the tank corps in Desert Storm and also in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He won a bronze star for his service. He and his wife lost their home in Hurricane Helene.

Now he's in DeeCee actually burning the flag on the sidewalk in front of the White House. The video is on Twitter (https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1960353460412358877). He said he set the fire because “it was my right as a citizen … under the First Amendment to protest in whatever way I see fit without hurting anybody.” Carey was fired up (so to speak) by the executive order signed by Jethro that directs federal agencies to “vigorously prosecute” anyone who desecrates the flag. Carey said, “Just to let them know that I was a retired disabled combat veteran who did not believe that it was the president’s right to restrict our First Amendment rights.”

Good for him. The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that burning the flag is symbolic speech protected under the First Amendment. 'Course the current crop of Republican Supremes have a different source of light now, and who knows how far they're willing to let Jethro forage.