• A man was arrested for burning an American flag near the White House.
• This incident occurred hours after President Trump signed an executive order tackling flag desecration.
• The protester, claiming to be a veteran, argued that burning the flag is a First Amendment right.
• Trump's order directs the Justice Department to pursue legal actions against flag burners.
• The Supreme Court has previously ruled that burning the flag is constitutionally protected speech.

A man was detained near the White House on Monday evening after setting fire to an American flag, shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at punishing those who desecrate the national flag. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed the incident occurred around 6:15 p.m. in Lafayette Park, where officers extinguished the flames and handed the individual over to the U.S. Park Police for formal charges, which include violating regulations against fires in federal parks, according to Newsweek and The Hill.

The individual, who identified himself as a combat veteran, proclaimed his act as a protest against Trump, describing the president as an "illegal fascist" and asserting that it is his First Amendment right to burn the flag. He expressed, "I fought for every single one of your rights to express yourself," illustrating his stance on the matter, reported TRT Global and HuffPost.

Trump's executive order, signed earlier that day, mandates the Justice Department to explore legal options against flag desecration, stating that flag burning could be considered a violation of various laws concerning public order and safety. The order has sparked debate about its conflict with a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that protected flag burning as a form of symbolic speech under the First Amendment, as noted by India Times and HuffPost.