"Two days ago, leftist protesters in Portland, Oregon ripped down a statue of George Washington and wrapped in an American flag, and set the American flag on fire," the president said according to Forbes.

While introducing the comments Trump pointed to Oklahoma's two Republican senators in attendance, Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lankford, and said: "We ought to come up with legislation that if you burn the American flag, you go to jail for one year."

"They talk about freedom of speech and I'm a big believer in freedom of speech, but that's desecration, that's a terrible thing," he added, referencing ongoing protests.

Currently, burning an American flag is considered constitutionally-protected free speech under the First Amendment, based on the last time the US Supreme Court ruled on the matter in a 1989 decision.