# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 7, 2022, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018 "2022-02-07T00:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 253
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5042 "2022-10-07T15:11:06Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Isn’t that just the standard way of making a trophy piece out of a flag? I wouldn’t assume any connection to the military. I’m confused by the word “trophy.” This is a display box for the flag that is given (or sent) to a family member after a veteran’s death. I have a flag for my husband and a flag for my father. I was given the one for my husband by the honor guard at his funeral. My mother was sent the one for my dad. I bought the box at the PX. [https://www.flagsconnections.com/media/217\_X\_BLA.jpg](https://www.flagsconnections.com/media/217_X_BLA.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5043 "2022-10-07T15:12:47Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > > [@enipla](#): > > > > And what’s with the triangular service flag behind him. Has anyone in the Trump family ever been in the military? > > Isn’t that just the standard way of making a trophy piece out of a flag? I wouldn’t assume any connection to the military. My wife’s grandmother had one like that with the flag that draped her husband’s coffin. It looks like Jr’s has a name plate on it, so it may be a gift. Even so, I would consider it bad taste to display a memorial to a fallen serviceman like a decoration to show off one’s “patriotism.” But this is a Trump we’re talking about, so taste wouldn’t enter into it. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5044 "2022-10-07T15:25:57Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > I would consider it bad taste to display a memorial to a fallen serviceman like a decoration to show off one’s “patriotism.” I despise every member of trump’s family and the very air they breathe, **but** my husband’s flag sits on a shelf in my office in a box just like that one because I’m proud of his service in Viet Nam. It has nothing to do with my patriotism or lack of. Is that “displaying” it? Is that “bad taste”? Would the flag be better in the bottom drawer of a dresser somewhere? I don’t get your point. \<_puzzled_\> ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5045 "2022-10-07T15:33:49Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > Isn’t that just the standard way of making a trophy piece out of a flag? I wouldn’t assume any connection to the military. > > I’m confused by the word “trophy.” > > This is a display box for the flag that is given (or sent) to a family member after a veteran’s death. I have a flag for my husband and a flag for my father. I was given the one for my husband by the honor guard at his funeral. My mother was sent the one for my dad. I bought the box at the PX. I mean “trophy piece” in the sense of something you display on a shelf. As far as I know, a triangular box is the standard way to display a flag on a shelf. I’ve never seen a flag kept on a shelf any other way. The military services aren’t the only ones who give flags as gifts. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5046 "2022-10-07T15:39:00Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It has nothing to do with my patriotism or lack of. Is that “displaying” it? Is that “bad taste”? Would the flag be better in the bottom drawer of a dresser somewhere? I don’t get your point. \<_puzzled_\> There’s a difference between having such a flag in a place of respect in your house, where you and your guests can see it, and going out of your way to put it in the background of your internet video so that everyone can see how Super Patriotic™ you are. I guarantee it that every element in that frame has been considered, debated, and chosen on the basis of how it affects Junior’s image. _That_ is what is distasteful here. Would you use your husband’s flag as a prop in some social media post for no better reason that to make yourself look better? I suspect not. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5047 "2022-10-07T15:43:57Z")
Sorry, I don’t think I made myself clear. The flag was your husband’s; you’re displaying it as a memorial to him. My wife’s grandmother had her husband’s on the mantle next to his service display as a memorial to him. Jr has this flag prominently displayed on a shelf behind him next to what looks like a rosary while he drunkenly rants about whatever bullshit has wormed its way into his head. Unless I’m mistaken, he has not lost any family member who was a veteran, so it must be a gift. Considering the Trump family’s lack of taste, I do not think my assumption that the flag is there for him to to show off how “patriotic” he is is too far off. I had the still frame up as I was writing this, and I just have to say, “My god, those are some yellow teeth.” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5048 "2022-10-07T15:48:39Z")
You’re good ThelmaLou. My father was in the military. Never saw combat but we received the flag at his funeral. My brother has it in his house. I think that is pretty much standard protocol for honorably discharged veterans. The folded flag is given to the closest family member to display as they wish. Perhaps Junior had a relative that was in the military and it was given to him. Or perhaps he bought it on eBay. Considering the transgressions of that entire family, this is small potatoes. I will give Barron and Tiffany a break though. Tiffany seemed to put as much distance between them as she could. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5049 "2022-10-07T15:49:08Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > My wife’s grandmother had one like that with the flag that draped her husband’s coffin. It looks like Jr’s has a name plate on it, so it may be a gift. Even so, I would consider it bad taste to display a memorial to a fallen serviceman like a decoration to show off one’s “patriotism.” My father was a WWII veteran and we got one – without a nameplate – from the VA when he died. Now _you_ can get one with a ‘gold’ personalized engraved plate for a mere $450 at the Save America store!! Not really but I’ve probably given them an idea, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5050 "2022-10-07T15:55:22Z")
sometimes flags flown at the white house or capital are given to people. usually for some sort of legislation or honour given. that could be why trump jr. has one. trump and members of his family or others who worked at the white house could have flags that were flown over the white house during their time there. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5051 "2022-10-07T15:58:03Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Sorry, I don’t think I made myself clear. I kinda figured, but thanks for the clarification. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5052 "2022-10-07T15:58:14Z")
I don’t think that its a folded flag. It only has 4 stars showing in an extremely regular pattern with no partial stars around the edges. I’m not sure how you would fold a 50 star flag to get that. I suspect that its something like “Honorary mention for biggest check signed awarded by busybodies for decency” ETA: alternatively its a flag case, that came with a picture of a flag inside and he just put it up, the same way lonely people are rumored to buy picture frames and keep the picture that came with the frame. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5053 "2022-10-07T16:00:07Z")
Yeah, I noticed the shortage of visible stars… [Most (but not all) of these](https://www.google.com/search?q=veteran+flag+display+case&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjApfCevs76AhV0rYkEHVIUCOQQ_AUoAnoECAIQBA&biw=1496&bih=787&dpr=2.22) have more stars showing. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5054 "2022-10-07T16:02:50Z")
If only NCIS or CSI were factual. “Zoom. Enhance.” ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5055 "2022-10-07T16:07:16Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > [Most (but not all) of these](https://www.google.com/search?q=veteran+flag+display+case&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjApfCevs76AhV0rYkEHVIUCOQQ_AUoAnoECAIQBA&biw=1496&bih=787&dpr=2.22) have more stars showing. So, like his old man’s _Time_ cover, it’s a fake souvenir. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5056 "2022-10-07T16:08:26Z")
I think y’all are overthinking it. It’s a flag display case that **anyone** can buy and **anyone** can make into a presentation piece to give to anyone else for whatever the ocassion, who can then put it on their shelf as a patriotic tchotchke. Maybe even as some have observed, prepacked and not the result of any actual proper honor guard fold. We may find that tasteless but nothing prevents it. Most likely it’s a gift from some Republican/conservative organization. Though knowing him I would not be surprised if he just got it for himself as décor. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5057 "2022-10-07T16:24:13Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > I think y’all are overthinking it. It’s a flag display case that **anyone** can buy and **anyone** can make into a presentation piece to give to anyone else for whatever the ocassion, who can then put it on their shelf as a patriotic tchotchke. Maybe even as some have observed, prepacked and not the result of any actual proper honor guard fold. Yep. I’ve seen enough flag gifts that it’d never cross my mind that a flag box on a shelf had any association with the military. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5058 "2022-10-07T16:26:28Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > I think y’all are overthinking it. Hey! We don’t do that here! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5059 "2022-10-07T16:54:43Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > flags that were flown over the white house during their time there. It’s probably the flag that was flying over the capitol building on 1/6. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5060 "2022-10-07T17:03:11Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > sometimes flags flown at the white house or capital are given to people That would make sense in that a federal building flag would be much larger than a coffin flag, so the stars would be farther apart, meaning there would be fewer visible in a standard box. If you could get one in there. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5061 "2022-10-07T17:14:12Z")
Kari Lake ran an ad where she claimed she would send the Arizona national guard to the border to defend it from immigrants. But the troops in the ad were Russian. > **[GOP Candidate Kari Lake Busted For Using Russia Troops In 'Secure Our Border' Ad](https://www.yahoo.com/news/kari-lake-busted-using-russia-070046991.html)** > > The spot for the GOP nominee for Arizona governor promises to "secure our border" ―  using video of Russian soldiers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018.md?page=252) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018.md?page=254)