US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that European leaders “jokingly” refer to him as the “President of Europe,” a remark that came just moments after he signed a controversial executive order making flag burning a criminal offence.“They jokingly call me the president of Europe,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office. “Which is an honour. I like Europe. And I like those people. They’re good people. They’re great leaders.”‘President of Europe’ claim after high-level talksTrump’s comments followed a high-stakes meeting in Washington last week, where he hosted seven European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to Trump, the gathering represented “38 European and other countries.”The meeting’s central agenda was persuading Trump to maintain US support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. It came just days after his private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska—their first face-to-face encounter since 2019.Flag burning ban despite Supreme Court rulingAlongside his remarks on Europe, Trump signed an executive order criminalizing the burning of the US flag. The move challenges a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that classified flag burning as protected free speech under the First Amendment.Calling the ruling from three decades ago “a very sad one,” Trump said the new order allows prosecutions if flag burning incites violence or public disorder. “Anyone found guilty could face one year in prison, with no early release,” he declared.Foreign nationals are also directly targeted under the order. Those found guilty could lose visas, be denied green cards or citizenship, and even face deportation.
