Debate viewers paid attention to more than just the candidates' answers to important questions Wednesday night during the third presidential debate.

Many people on social media commented on Hillary Clinton's outfit. But it wasn't the pantsuit that had people talking.

It was the absence of  an American flag lapel pin.

"Where is your American flag pin, ma'am?" Fox News' Todd Starnes wrote on Twitter shortly after the debate began.

This isn't the first time this political season that there's been talk about lapel pins. People were outraged when they saw Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, wearing a lapel pin that was not the American flag.

His choice was instead a flag for Blue Star Families, a flag donned by family who have members serving in the military. Kaine's son is a Marine.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez