Trump Attempts to Punish Flag Burners, Cashless Bail Crackdown, Snoop Slams Pixar: AM Update 8/26

Summary

The Megyn Kelly Show

AM Update – August 26, 2025

Theme:
This episode centers on President Trump’s sweeping executive orders targeting flag burning and cashless bail policies in cities with progressive criminal justice reforms. The episode also features reaction to rapper Snoop Dogg’s viral comments about LGBTQ representation in Pixar’s Lightyear. Host Megyn Kelly offers analysis, context, and opinions from legal and political figures, exploring the controversies and implications for free speech, criminal justice, and cultural debates.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Executive Order on Flag Burning

• Overview:
  President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Department of Justice to prosecute those involved in flag burning, attempting to circumvent longstanding Supreme Court protections for this form of protest. The order also directs the administration to take action against non-citizens who desecrate American flags.
• Legal Context:
  • The Supreme Court's 1989 Texas v. Johnson ruling protects flag burning as expressive conduct under the First Amendment. (04:16)
  • Justice William Brennan’s majority opinion emphasized free discourse:

    “The way to preserve the flag's special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong.” (02:01, quoting Brennan)

  • Even conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia sided with the majority, famously stating:

    “If it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal-wearing, scruffy bearded weirdo who burns the American flag. But I am not King.” (02:34, quoting Scalia)

• Details of the Executive Order:
  • DOJ is to investigate and prosecute criminal acts associated with flag burning, when not in violation of the First Amendment.
  • Instances that may violate other laws (open burning, property destruction) should be referred to state/local authorities.
  • Immigration consequences for flag desecration by non-citizens. (04:16)
• President Trump’s Justification:
  Trump claims flag burning "incites riots," justifying criminal penalties, but the executive order lacks specifics about penalties.

  “What happens when you burn a flag is the area goes crazy... There are some that are going crazy for doing it, there are others that are angry, angry about them doing it.” (05:26, Trump)

• Legal and Political Reactions:
  • Opinions split: Some conservatives dismiss the order as unnecessary; others see it as an infringement on civil liberties.
  • Commentator Jesse Kelly posts:

    “I am a free American citizen and if I ever feel like torching one, I will. This is garbage.” (07:19, quoting Jesse Kelly)

  • Legal expert Bob Korn-Revere (FIRE) argues:

    “It’s a long standing principle of First Amendment law that someone in a crowd who doesn’t like what a speaker is saying doesn’t get to silence them by threatening to be disruptive.” (08:35, Revere)

  • Constitutional scholars anticipate court challenges, emphasizing previous defeats for similar legislation and the historical increase in flag burning after attempted bans.

    “…We had more examples and instances of flag burning in protest of passing that law than had existed in the previous 200 years…” (10:28, Revere)

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2. Executive Actions Against Cashless Bail

• Overview:
  Trump issued orders to end cashless bail in Washington, D.C., and to penalize other cities with similar policies by revoking federal funds. Megyn Kelly connects this to a broader Trump administration crackdown on “soft on crime” policies.
• Details and Justifications:
  • Will Scharf, White House Staff Secretary:

    “Cashless bail policies are a key driver of the disorder we see on city streets all over America… Catch and release system allows criminals to keep going back out onto the street and reoffending.” (12:41, Scharf)

  • Trump:

    “That was when the big crime in this country started. When somebody kills somebody, they go in, don’t worry about it, no cash… They thought it was discriminatory to make people put up money because they just killed three people lying on a street, any street, all over the country. Cashless bail. We’re ending it.” (14:13, Trump)

  • Attorney General Pam Bondi supports with anecdotes:

    “A mother, a single mom whose house was burglarized and the defendant got out on cashless bail, went back the next night and burglarized her house again. That’s why this is so important.” (14:47, Bondi)

• Background Context:
  • Kelly explains that bail reform was adopted in deep blue states and cities to address disparities for low-income offenders, but critics argue it increases recidivism and crime.
• Looking Forward:
  Federal intervention is expected to trigger legal challenges, especially as the Trump Administration eyes cities like Chicago, New York, and Baltimore for further crackdowns. (15:11)

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3. Snoop Dogg Critiques LGBTQ Themes in Pixar’s "Lightyear"

• Incident:
  Snoop Dogg went viral for candidly recounting his discomfort watching Lightyear with his grandson, confused by a lesbian storyline.
• Quote:

  “We watching it and the lady when they like and she had a baby with a woman while my grandson in the middle of the movie like Papa Snoop. How’d she have a baby with a woman? She a woman? Oh, I didn’t come in for this. I just came and watched the goddamn movie. … Like y’all throwing me in the middle of that. I don’t have an answer for.” (15:56, Snoop Dogg)

• Reactions:
  • Some fans and outlets express disappointment and outrage, painting Snoop as unexpectedly “unaccepting.”
  • AV Club’s sarcastic coverage:

    “Snoop Dogg is opening up about a terrifying experience he had at the movies… Snoop Dogg couldn’t handle a children’s movie, and a Pixar one at that, for one specific reason. Lesbians Lord.” (16:30)

  • Kelly notes similar viewer backlash when Lightyear, the first Pixar film to feature a same-sex kiss, sparked controversy and bans in several countries, and bombed at the box office compared to previous, “normal” (in Kelly’s words) films.
  • Comparison:
    • Lightyear: $226M global gross
    • Toy Story 4: $1B+ global gross

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Justice William Brennan (quoted):

  “The way to preserve the flag's special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong.” (02:01)

• Justice Antonin Scalia (quoted):

  “If it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal-wearing, scruffy bearded weirdo who burns the American flag. But I am not King.” (02:34)

• White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf:

  “It charges your Department of Justice with investigating instances of flag burning and then… instructs the Department of Justice to prosecute those who are engaged in these instances.” (03:58)

• President Trump:

  “What happens when you burn a flag is the area goes crazy… it incites riots at levels that we’ve never seen before.” (05:26)
  “We’re ending it [cashless bail].” (14:13)

• Jesse Kelly (conservative radio host):

  “I would never in a million years harm the American flag, but a president telling me I can’t has me as close as I’ll ever be to lighting one on fire.” (07:19)

• Bob Korn-Revere (FIRE):

  “…someone in a crowd who doesn’t like what a speaker is saying doesn’t get to silence them by threatening to be disruptive. The law and the First Amendment require that the government protect the speaker, not the person who threatens violence.” (08:35)

• Snoop Dogg:

  “Like y'all throwing me in the middle of that. I don’t have an answer for.” (15:56)

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:09–11:16]: Flag burning controversy, Trump’s executive order, legal commentary
• [12:41–15:11]: Cashless bail crackdown, federal funding threats, Trump/Bondi remarks
• [15:47–16:30]: Snoop Dogg’s Pixar comments, online backlash, box office context

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Memorable Moments

• Scalia’s unexpectedly pro-flag burning Supreme Court quote (02:34)
• Bob Korn-Revere’s forceful First Amendment defense (08:35–10:28)
• Jesse Kelly’s “as close as I'll ever be to lighting one on fire” response (07:19)
• Snoop Dogg’s confusion and discomfort with "woke" Pixar narratives (15:56)

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Summary:
Today’s episode highlights sharply divisive executive actions from the Trump White House around free speech and criminal justice, drawing in legal precedent, political reactions, and a viral dose of cultural commentary via Snoop Dogg’s Pixar experience. The tone is often skeptical and unsparing, blending legal analysis with the host’s signature bluntness and cultural critique.

Transcript

[A]

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Tuesday, August 26, 2025, and this is your AM update.

[B]

It instructs the Department of Justice to prosecute those who are engaged in these instances of flag burning.

[A]

President Trump signs an executive order attempting to work around Supreme Court precedent on flag burning. Plus a new pair of executive orders targeting cashless bail in deep blue cities.

[C]

Y' all throwing me in the middle of shit that I don't have an answer for.

[A]

Rapper and Trump antagonist straight Snoop Dogg reacts to woke Disney Pixar programming in a very relatable way. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. You know those movies that tell the stories of real life heroes with the courage to stand up in the face of indescribable evil and hatred to protect and save others? They're important, especially now when the world seems to need heroes more than ever. Artist at War is a film about how art and love can save lives, literally and spiritually. It's the remarkable true story of Joseph Bao, a gifted artist and master forger who risked his life to save others during the Holocaust. There he not only found the strength to survive, but also an unexpected love with Rebecca, a woman whose courage matched his own. Their secret wedding, held inside a concentration camp, was later immortalized in the film Schindler's List. Bow Artist at War opens only in theaters for a limited run beginning September 26th. Go to baomovie.comb a u movie.com to watch the trailer, read about Joseph's real life journey and find showtimes near you. Visit bao b a u movie.com to watch THE trailer and learn more. And you can also sign your organization up for group screenings. Again, that's Baumovie.com On Monday, President Trump signing an executive order attempting to punish those who engage in flag burning, ordering the Department of Justice to prosecute individuals who violate laws while desecrating the American flag. So long, he says, as the First Amendment is not violated. Good luck with that. In 1989, the Supreme Court ruling in a 5, 4 decision that burning an American flag is expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment, the case originating with the arrest of one Gregory Lee Johnson in 1984 for burning an American flag outside of a convention center in Dallas, Texas, protesting President Reagan's policies. Johnson was convicted under a Texas statute outlawing the desecration of a venerated object and including the American flag. If such an action were likely to incite anger in others. The majority siding with Mr. Johnson, who said this violated his free speech rights and overturning his conviction. Justice William Brennan, appointed by President Eisenhower, writing for the majority quote, johnson's expressive conduct does not fall within that small class of fighting words that are likely to provoke the average person to retaliation and thereby cause a breach of the peace. No reasonable onlooker would have regarded Johnson's generalized expression of dissatisfaction with the policies of the federal government as a direct personal insult or an invitation to exchange fisticuffs. Brennan also writing, quote, the way to preserve the flag's special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong. Conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia siding with the majority in that case, later saying of the decision, quote, if it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal wearing, scruffy bearded weirdo who burns the American flag. But I am not King. Senior White House staffer Will Scharf explaining the Executive Order Monday from the Oval.

[B]

What the Executive Order does, sir, it charges your Department of Justice with investigating instances of flag burning and then where there's evidence of criminal activity that where prosecution wouldn't fall afoul of the First Amendment and instructs the Department of Justice to prosecute those who are engaged in these instances of flag.

[A]

That's like saying the DOJ is charged with investigating whether people can have individual opinions and where there is evidence those opinions are really, really bad. If the prosecution would not fall outside of the First Amendment, we prosecute also in the eo Quote, in cases where the DOJ or another executive department or agency determines that an instance of American flag desecration is may violate an applicable state or local law, such as open burning restrictions, disorderly conduct laws or destruction of property laws, the agencies shall refer the matter to the appropriate state or local authority for potential action. Maybe the open burning thing could stand. Certainly if the flag is someone else's property, you could get in trouble. But the act of burning the flag will not be criminalized, not under our First Amendment, no matter how much one may dislike it. The Attorney General and Secretary of State also directed to deny, prohibit, terminate or revoke the visas of, and even seek the removal of foreigners who desecrate the American flag when legally applicable. President Trump with more as you know.

[D]

Through a very sad court, I guess it was a 5 to 4 decision. They called it freedom of speech. But there's another reason which is perhaps much more important. It's called death. Because what happens when you burn a flag is the area goes crazy. If you have hundreds of people, they go crazy. You can do other things. You can burn this piece of paper, you can. And it's but when you burn the American flag, it incites riots at levels that we've never seen before. People go crazy in a way, both ways. There are some that are going crazy for doing it. There are others that are angry, angry about them doing it.

[A]

Mr. Trump going on to say the penalty for inciting a riot via flag burning will be one year in jail, but that punishment is not spelled out in the executive order. The federal statute for inciting a riot carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. The incitement exception to the First Amendment, however, is very limited. It would only apply if the flag burning the speech is both meant to and likely to incite imminent lawbreaking. Tough standard. The President has long been interested in this topic. Mr. Trump Floating consequences for flag burners as early as November 2016. Instances of flag burning becoming more common in recent years as left wing radicals protest everything about America from the BLM riots of 2020 to the anti Israel demonstrations across college campuses to anti ICE protesters in LA taking to the streets in June waving foreign flags proudly as Old Glory burned on the ground. Conservatives appearing divided on the order, some citing an incident in 2019 an Iowa man sentenced to at least 15 years for stealing a gay pride flag from a church and burning it outside of a strip club. Theft and destruction of property do not fall under protected political speech. Activist Chris Rufo posting quote, I'm sorry, but as long as this is the status quo, I'm not going to work myself into a state of hysteria about Trump's executive order on burning the American flag. However, many prominent conservative voices speaking out against the order. Right wing radio host and former Marine Jesse Kelly posting quote, I would never in a million years harm the American flag, but a president telling me I can't has me as close as I'll ever be to lighting one on fire. I am a free American citizen and if I ever feel like torching one, I will. This is garbage. Commentator Eric Erickson, who also has a law degree, positing his theory about the executive order on X. The President's executive order on flag burning is not legal, but it will get the Democrats to all go out and burn American flags yet again, putting them on the 20% side of an 8020 issue. Right on cue, failed VP candidate Tim Walsh from the DNC's summer meeting on Monday.

[E]

Now he's talking about burning flags. He's going to have flag burning or.

[A]

Whatever because he knows there's a hell.

[D]

Of a lot of flags with his.

[E]

Picture on it that are going to get burned.

[A]

We spoke to chief counsel at the foundation for Individual Rights and Expression or fire Bob Korn. Revere, who says this order flies in the face of the First Amendment.

[E]

It's a long standing principle of First Amendment law that someone in a crowd who doesn't like what a speaker is saying doesn't get to silence them by threatening to be disruptive. The law and the First Amendment require that the government protect the speaker, not the person who threatens violence. And it appears that this executive order is predicated on saying that there are likely to be people out there that don't like what the speakers are saying, what protesters are saying, and therefore because of that, we're going to silence the protesters rather than preserving order. That seemed to be what President Trump was talking about when he was talking about crowd reactions to it. And it's precisely the same argument that the supreme court confronted in 1989 in Texas versus Johnson when it held that that Justific couldn't support the Texas attempt to prosecute Gregory Lee Johnson when he burned a flag in protest.

[A]

Revere, describing what legal challenges may arise.

[E]

Out of this order, looks like what is likely to happen is that someone either at the federal level or state level will initiate some sort of prosecution against a flag burner, someone who is protesting using that as their means of expression. And that the defense, I would imagine, would include a constitutional argument that this is merely an example of someone being prosecuted because the government doesn't like what they're trying to say. And that is a plain violation of the First Amendment. If you go back to the whole question of incitement, the Supreme Court in 1969 in Brandenburg versus Ohio said that Klansmen burning a cross, it didn't constitute incitement. And so this really is a non starter from a constitutional perspective.

[A]

Revere also predicting this executive order will not have its intended effect.

[E]

President Trump in his statement appeared to say that by issuing this decree that was going to end flag burning in America. And I think history shows that exactly the opposite is likely to happen. After the Supreme Court struck down the Texas attempt to prosecute flag burning in 1989, Congress adopted the Flag Protection act that was designed to prevent flag burning as a result of the Supreme Court decision. And the effect of that was that we had more examples and instances of flag burning in protest of passing that law than had existed in the previous 200 years in American history. So I think that the reaction to this executive order is likely to be the opposite of of what President Trump intends.

[A]

Coming up, President Trump puts far left cities on notice by going after cashless bail policies, and rapper Snoop Dogg draws backlash for complaints about woke Disney content as President Trump is settling into his new administration. One of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Democrat Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durbin has a new plan, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit cards, but they say Senator Durbin's plan will result in less competition and less security, which means more risk for your credit and your identity. You can learn more for [e-mail] and you could consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durbin's government takeover of your credit card and before it's too late. President Trump also on Monday signing a pair of executive orders taking aim at cashless bail, meaning when people accused of crimes are not required to pay money to be released from jail pending trial. One executive order purporting to end cashless bail entirely in Washington, D.C. the latest action amid the Trump administration's federal takeover of local law enforcement. There's White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf describing the second order Monday.

[B]

From the Oval Cashless bail policies are a key driver of the disorder we see on city streets all over America. Catch and release system allows criminals to keep going back out onto the street and reoffending. What this executive order does, it charges your attorney General with identifying jurisdictions all over the country that have cashless bail policies and then it withholds or revokes federal funds and grants that are flowing to those jurisdictions to ensure that we're only supporting the people who have reasonable common sense policies around crime.

[A]

The bail reform movements began across deep blue pockets of the country around the mid 2010s. That trend catching fire during the George Floyd era. Washington, D.C. had already eliminated cash bail in the 90s, while New Jersey and Illinois later followed suit by instituting purely risk based bail assessments, meaning you're either too risky to be released or you're not. But there's no buying your way out of jail. New Mexico and New York adopting policies heavily curtailing cash bail and cities like la, Philadelphia, San Francisco rolling out reforms of their own. Progressives arguing cash bail unjustly punishes low income offenders who cannot pay, while wealthier suspects walk free ahead of their trials. Supporters countering that it provides a crucial incentive ensuring suspects show up for their court dates and helps keep repeat offenders off the streets throughout the 2024 campaign. President Trump vowing to reverse soft on crime policies. Here he is from the Oval on Monday.

[D]

One of the executive orders has to do with cashless bail. That was when the big crime in this country started. When somebody kills somebody, they go in, don't worry about it, no cash. Come back in a couple of months, we'll give you a trial, you know, never see the person again. And, I mean, they kill people and they get out. They thought it was discriminatory to make people put up money because they just killed three people lying on a street, any street, all over the country. Cashless bail. We're ending it.

[A]

Attorney General Pam Bondi flanking the president, offering some examples, highlighting the risks of cashless bail.

[F]

A mother, a single mom whose house was burglarized and the defendant got out on cashless bail, went back the next night and burglarized her house again. That's why this is so important. A man got in a fight with another guy. He had a gun. He was let out. Next night, he got up, went back and killed him. So that's why it's so important. President, what you're doing.

[A]

As we reported on yesterday's AM Update, President Trump is eyeing Chicago and New York as the next targets for a federal crime crackdown. With Baltimore potentially in the running as well, legal challenges are expected for all of Trump's recent actions on crime. Rapper Snoop Dogg angering the left with his recent comments about his experience watching a Pixar movie with his grandson, saying he was blindsided by an LGBTQ storyline in the movie Lightyear. The comments made on the It's Giving podcast last week going viral Monday on social media.

[C]

I took my grandson to see what was a movie with Buzz Light.

[A]

Toy Story.

[C]

Not that one, but oh, the new.

[A]

The new Buzz, the Lightyear.

[C]

So we watching it and the lady when they like and she had a baby with a woman while my grandson in the middle of the movie like Papa Snoop. How'd she have a baby with a woman? She a woman? Oh, I didn't come in for this. I just came and watched the goddamn movie. Hey, man, watch the movie. They just said she and she had a baby. They both women's. How does she have a baby? The movie ain't over with. So it's like this. Me, I'm scared to go to the movies now. Like y' all throwing me in the middle of that. I don't have an answer for.

[A]

Outraged woke viewers firing off in the comments on YouTube. One writing quote wow. I'm so embarrassed that I ever liked him and I spoke positively about him to my kids. Another posting Quote Wow, this is sad. I thought Snoop was pretty open and accepting the comment panned by entertainment outlets AV Club writing Quote Snoop Dogg is opening up about a terrifying experience he had at the movies, one that was seemingly so distressing it took him three whole years to talk about it. No, it wasn't at a screening of Hereditary or Weapons or anything that would be slightly less embarrassing for the Gin and juice wrapper. Snoop Dogg couldn't handle a children's movie, and a Pixar one at that, for one specific reason. Lesbians Lord despite the backlash, Snoop's views are far from unique. The 2022 Pixar film Lightyear drawing backlash as the studio's first to feature a gay kiss, the scene reportedly at one point cut from the film, then restored after internal pushback from Pixar and Disney employees. You know, the ones who were trying to get their self described gay agenda into Disney movies at every turn. The film banned in more than a dozen countries in the Middle east and Asia. Like many other decidedly woke Pixar films since Lightyear, going on to flop at the box Office, grossing just 226 million globally on a reported budget of 200 million. As a point of comparison, Toy Story 4, which is normal, also features Buzz Lightyear as one of the leads, and it made over a billion dollars at the box office worldwide. That'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for the Megyn Kelly show live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east on YouTube.com Megan Kelly and on all podcast platforms.