As Democrats lash out at President Donald Trump for signing an executive order to jail protesters who burn the American flag, old footage of Hillary Clinton has returned to spotlight a double standard. In 2006, while serving as New York’s U.S. senator, Clinton called for criminalizing flag desecration under a proposed “Flag Protection Act,” echoing the very principle Trump just enacted.

Clinton told her Senate colleagues nearly two decades ago that burning or destroying the American flag was “a deeply offensive and despicable act” that disrespected veterans, belittled their sacrifices, and sent the wrong message to American soldiers serving overseas. She even drew parallels to a Supreme Court ruling that allowed prosecution of cross burnings when used to intimidate, arguing that flag burning carried similar weight.

“Americans’ emotions run deep when we look at the flag,” Clinton said at the time. “When it’s deliberately and maliciously destroyed, that is an intimidating experience.”

Now, those words hang in stark contrast to the outrage from Democrats who claim Trump’s new order undermines free speech. On Monday, Trump signed the order mandating one year in jail for anyone convicted of desecrating the U.S. flag, directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to fully enforce the penalties and test the limits of First Amendment exceptions.

The executive action goes even further by authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and State Department to strip foreign nationals of visas, green cards, or citizenship benefits if they are found to have engaged in flag-burning demonstrations. The move, Trump said, is about restoring respect for America’s most sacred national symbol.

Critics on the left erupted, accusing Trump of authoritarianism. Yet Clinton’s past remarks now complicate the narrative, showing that leading Democrats once stood on the same ground when it came to banning flag desecration.

The resurfaced footage highlights how, for years, the flag has been seen as more than fabric—it represents the nation’s unity, sacrifice, and resilience. While Trump’s order is already sparking heated legal debates, his supporters argue that Democrats’ hypocrisy proves their opposition is more about political spite than constitutional principle.

At the heart of the issue is a clash between symbolism and speech. Supporters of Trump’s order say protecting the American flag is about defending the men and women who fought for it, while critics insist even offensive acts of protest must remain protected under the First Amendment.

Still, with Hillary Clinton herself once declaring flag burning “despicable” and urging Congress to outlaw it, Democrats now find themselves in the awkward position of attacking Trump for enacting a measure many of them once claimed to support.