It's not disrespectful, but it is still a dumb decision. The flag is kinda' iconic. I guess they're removing the flag to "stick it to Trump," or something? As much as I can appreciate that, they shouldn't pretend the flag wasn't there just to make him mad =/
I think they did it for money reasons. they think the movie might not be as popular outside america, unless they downplay the patriotic parts. but yea, it IS dumb. people who downplay those parts are not realizing or ignoring some facts about the space race to the moon. the entire reason it happened was to compete with Russia.
it was a matter of national pride to be the first to land on the moon before Russia could do it. we actually didn't really have much other reason to do it and that's why the visits to the moon very quickly fizzed out and we stopped going and nobody has touched the moon in like 40 years or more. we got what we wanted out of it. we might eventually go back but only cause recent science has told us there might actually be some reasons to use the moon after all. like using it as a base for going out further in space. it will save money and fuel if we launch from the moon instead of earth.
Everybody knows the real reason to build a base would just be to mine the crap out of it. ---