Tomi Lahren‘s newest role as a Fox News commentator stirred up plenty of outrage at first, but she hasn’t upset anyone lately in a major way. To remedy that omission, Lahren carefully chose a Halloween costume that she knew would provoke on a few levels. She debuted her outfit — a #MAGA superhero with an American flag for a cape — on Instagram with this caption: “Oh LA get ready to find your safe spaces! What am I? Well if you’re a conservative, I’m American AF. If you’re a lib, I’m ‘offensive.’ Let’s go.”
The costume (which tops off a #MAGA swimsuit with a cut-up flag and a star-spangled fanny pack) is pure Tomi, although she may have found inspiration a few days ago while tweeting photos of Trump hugging the flag with a #RelationshipGoals hashtag. Indeed, some of Tomi’s conservative fans were delighted by her costume. The most prominent example of praise came from Ryan Fournier, a frequent Fox News commentator and chair of the Trump Students group, who called this “the MOST patriotic costume.”
And the MOST patriotic costume goes to .@TomiLahren!! #Halloween2017 #MAGA pic.twitter.com/ddUrfz0Fvq
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) October 29, 2017
However, it’s impossible to overlook how the costume appears to have violated the U.S. code section that governs respect for the flag:
The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free. The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.
This portion of the U.S. code was not lost on those who remarked upon how wearing the flag is considered to be a sign of disrespect.
For Halloween, Tomi Lahren dressed as a Flag Code Violation. pic.twitter.com/Ur24U6v2uB
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) October 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/jptoner50/status/924491539182686208
At that point, people saw no point in holding back, and the jokes rolled in.
https://twitter.com/theleanover/status/924497896229158912
https://twitter.com/zachheltzel/status/924501004468436992
https://twitter.com/andylassner/status/924500986013523968
https://twitter.com/KnightStooge77/status/924606963207540736
While Roger Stone is suspended on Twitter and Tomi Lahren is cutting up American flags as a Halloween costume…
Hillary Clinton is smiling
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) October 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/sirDukeDevin/status/924616796291858432
I bet Tomi Lahren is exhausted and hates herself
— Alie Ward (@alieward) October 29, 2017
I demand to see Tomi Lahren's birth certificate. I refuse to believe she was born as a Tomi.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) October 29, 2017
Several people also pointed out that Lahren’s recent confusion over the NFL protests has only grown more evident with this Halloween performance.
If you’re okay with people carving up the flag into a costume but not with them kneeling before it, maybe it’s not about the flag. https://t.co/IZ3rtowDCX
— Jennifer Wright (@JenAshleyWright) October 29, 2017
So what Tomi Lahren is doing here is considered respectful of the flag, but daring to take a knee to protest racism is disrespectful. 😒 pic.twitter.com/ME94fRaWAR
— Dr. Mansa Keita (@rasmansa) October 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/barefootboomer/status/924485425410052097
Tomi Lahren: Kneeling during the National Anthem is disrespectful to the American flag.
Also Tomi Lahren: pic.twitter.com/PK7nJdAw9n
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) October 29, 2017
If @TomiLahren wants to wear something that will show everybody just how super-patriotic she is, she should enlist in the military. https://t.co/Pu6rryguRB
— Jon Zal (@jon_zal) October 29, 2017
And it’s not even really Halloween yet! Tuesday could bring even more Lahren antics to the table. Stay tuned.