The Daily Populous Wednesday September 17th, 2025 night edition
Authored by advocate.com and submitted by AdvocateDotCom

President Donald Trump said Monday in the Oval Office that he would have “no problem” with removing LGBTQ+ Progress Pride flags from Washington, D.C. streets, telling reporters that the banners could even be treated as symbols of domestic terrorism.

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The remarks came during an exchange with Brian Glenn, a correspondent for the far-right Real America’s Voice network and the boyfriend of Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. In front of a small group of reporters comprising the press pool, Glenn showed Trump an image of the Progress Pride flag hanging in front of a business and claimed it was a “trans flag” displayed on 14th Street, a main thoroughfare in the capital, which is long associated with LGBTQ+ nightlife and businesses. He asked whether the president would consider requiring the removal of the flag.

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"A lot of people are very threatened by this flag. It means a lot of different negative things to people, violence," Glenn claimed.

“Well, I wouldn’t be,” Trump said. “Then they’ll sue, and they’ll get freedom of speech stuff. So that’ll happen. But I would have no problem with it.” He then compared the issue to burning the American flag, which he called “an incitement” to violence. Trump recently attempted to make it a crime to burn an American flag through an executive order.

For LGBTQ+ people, the Progress Pride flag represents visibility and belonging. The Progress Pride flag was introduced in 2018 by nonbinary designer Daniel Quasar, who reimagined Gilbert Baker’s rainbow flag to include a chevron of light blue, pink, and white for the transgender community, and black and brown stripes to highlight LGBTQ+ people of color and those lost to HIV and AIDS. It has become one of the most widely recognized LGBTQ+ symbols worldwide, flown on government buildings, city streets, and at Pride events as a statement of inclusivity and visibility.

Related: Wall Street Journal quietly walks back false claim Charlie Kirk shooter had pro-trans messages on his bullets

Glenn pressed further, telling the president, “Well, there’s also, we call it ‘transtifa,’ so perhaps if you can label them a domestic terrorist group, in all reality, you could take that flag down. It would represent the transtifa.” Trump replied, “I think you probably could. Again, you’ll be sued, and it’s okay. I’ve been sued before a couple of times.”

Glenn’s reference echoed recent right-wing narratives about what he called “trans shooters.” After conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed in Utah last week, the New York Post and Wall Street Journal ran a series of stories tying the crime to the trans community, despite conflicting accounts from investigators. In August in Minnesota, officials condemned efforts to scapegoat the trans community after a transgender person was charged in a school shooting that left two children dead.

Related: Minneapolis mayor warns against ‘villainizing trans community’ after shooting leaves 2 children dead

The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that symbolic displays, including flags, are protected expression.

I_am_Zuul on September 16th, 2025 at 17:06 UTC »

I'm not even LGBTQ+, but interested to know where you'd like to "ban" it from being flown? If on personal, private property... I'll buy one just to fly in defiance. Fuck him and all his followers.

kneeco28 on September 16th, 2025 at 15:53 UTC »

> Glenn: This is a trans flag is up and down 14th street. A lot of people are threatened by this flag. Would you be opposed to taking this flag down?

> Trump: I wouldn’t but then they’ll sue and get freedom of speech stuff

It's not surprising, of course, but it's still shocking every time he acknowledges that his oath of office - to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States - means nothing to him, and in fact he'll happily trample the Constitution wherever he thinks he'll be able to get away with it.

cypherpunk00001 on September 16th, 2025 at 15:51 UTC »

So actually he's not just a dictator for day 1. I'm just watching him talking to press near marine 1 and an aussie journalist asked him about profiting from being president, and he says 'where are you from, oh, aussie, you know you're hurting ur country right now, i will remember you'

He's a mob boss and a dictator. A narcissist basking in the light. Nature do your thing. Mods, I say nature.