New York Times Blasted For Piece Suggesting American Flag Is Divisive To Some: ‘They Hate America’

The New York Times received backlash on Saturday after publishing a piece that portrayed displaying the American flag as controversial because of how much conservatives embrace the national emblem.

“Today, flying the flag from the back of a pickup truck or over a lawn is increasingly seen as a clue, albeit an imperfect one, to a person’s political affiliation in a deeply divided nation,” the Times reported. “What was once a unifying symbol — there is a star on it for each state, after all — is now alienating to some, its stripes now fault lines between people who kneel while ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ plays and those for whom not pledging allegiance is an affront.”

The report noted that a recent survey by YouGov found that 66% of Republicans said they associated the flag with their own party while only 34% of Democrats said the same.

The following are some of the responses that the Times received over their report:

Donald Trump Jr. tweeted: “How many days till these clowns start saying anyone flying the American flag 🇺🇸 is a racist? I’ll say less than a week. #July4th”

How many days till these clowns start saying anyone flying the American flag 🇺🇸 is a racist?

I’ll say less than a week. #July4th https://t.co/VxmsNTP86n

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 4, 2021

Commentator Jesse Kelly tweeted: “Back when I ran for Congress, I’d go knock on doors trying to get votes. Never walked by a house with an American flag. Why? Cause that meant there’s about a 90% chance a Republican lives there. Democrats hate America. The entire Party is centered around America hatred.”

“The entire Democrat base is a conglomerate of groups who hate America. The media and Hollywood, in an attempt to help Democrats, spread the message that America sucks and must be brought down,” he added. “The very idea of loving this country is almost universally mocked by The System.”

https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/1411483935230644227

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell tweeted: “They hate America. Stop paying these condescending elites money.”

https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1411476369452662786

Political strategist Chris Barron tweeted: “Any time any of these a**holes accuse Trump supporters of being ‘traitors’ just remind them they are the ones who hate everything about this country.”

Any time any of these assholes accuse Trump supporters of being “traitors” just remind them they are the ones who hate everything about this country. https://t.co/kaSwN2kojM

— Chris Barron 🇺🇸 (@ChrisRBarron) July 3, 2021

Federalist co-founder Sean Davis tweeted: “People who fly the American flag love America, and people who are upset by the American flag hate America. The country would be a lot less divided and a lot better off if the people who hate the country left.”

https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1411465374483324930

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ): “Apparently loving our country’s flag is now offensive. Disgusting.”

Apparently loving our country’s flag is now offensive. Disgusting. https://t.co/PC9JefHAQr

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) July 4, 2021

Former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright tweeted: “Flying the flag = Republican = bad. That’s the Left’s message here, and it’s designed to denigrate Free America in hopes of replacing it with Woke America.”

Flying the flag = Republican = bad.

That’s the Left’s message here, and it’s designed to denigrate Free America in hopes of replacing it with Woke America. https://t.co/Tx8bgj0OaK

— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) July 3, 2021

Christina Pushaw, Press Secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: “For what it’s worth, I love to see American flags flying from the back of pickup trucks, over a lawn, or anywhere else. If you think that flying our flag is somehow a ‘political statement,’ you need to re-evaluate the role politics plays in your life.”

For what it’s worth, I love to see American flags flying from the back of pickup trucks, over a lawn, or anywhere else. If you think that flying our flag is somehow a “political statement,” you need to re-evaluate the role politics plays in your life. https://t.co/9VuqbhEGWe

— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) July 3, 2021

John Cooper tweeted: “Here’s what it means: the person flying it loves our great country. When I see someone flying the flag, I know I would probably get along with that person.”

https://twitter.com/thejcoop/status/1411445846684602371

Other notable tweets include:

One of our (Cuban-American) sons drives a Toyota Tundra and decided on his own to fly an American flag from his truck for the holiday. Very pleasantly surprised. https://t.co/dYu4LHtnLQ

— Alberto Miguel Fernandez (@AlbertoMiguelF5) July 4, 2021

https://twitter.com/audpants/status/1411431706838568968

Unlike the failing @nytimes, I’m PROUD to be an American.

God bless the USA. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/mt8D1YBl1N pic.twitter.com/PSLYYWdQ25

— Rep. Barry Moore (@RepBarryMoore) July 4, 2021

If half the country hates its own flag then we are heading toward dark times https://t.co/7C49eC5H1X

— Tim Pool (@Timcast) July 3, 2021

https://twitter.com/ellencarmichael/status/1411447331996766211

No one is stopping liberals from flying the American flag – as they should.

No one party owns the flag. If you choose to view it as a political symbol that’s on you. https://t.co/nuuwiwu6xB

— Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) July 3, 2021

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1411478852778479621

Or maybe it’s just a clue that we actually love our country. There’s that. https://t.co/BQ8w4BJpbi

— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) July 3, 2021

NYT is really pushing this “GOP is the party of the American flag” narrative. https://t.co/O5AfFjIkkr pic.twitter.com/IRVaWkQNvE

— Joseph A. Wulfsohn (@JosephWulfsohn) July 3, 2021

NYT seethes at the thought of pickup trucks flying the flag. https://t.co/X1YhJFzlD5

— Logan Hall (@loganclarkhall) July 3, 2021

Remember when you were the paper of record of this country https://t.co/7EJaPz7bsw

— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) July 4, 2021

https://twitter.com/TheVFCastro/status/1411478109807861766

The flag, the ideals it represents, and the spilled blood of those who’ve defended it don’t give a damn about your political affiliation. https://t.co/CR9H1VGz0d

— Jason B. Whitman (@JasonBWhitman) July 3, 2021

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— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) July 3, 2021

https://t.co/mZ25aD4y2b pic.twitter.com/UWdTgFmjsK

— Rep. Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) July 3, 2021

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— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 3, 2021

🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/B9a1PGvX51

— Jonathan Schanzer (@JSchanzer) July 3, 2021