Flags at the US Capitol will be flown at full-staff during the second inauguration of US President-Elect Donald Trump, the Hill reported. Trump had previously expressed his annoyance with the idea that flags would be flown at half-staff in commemoration of former President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29, aged 100.
Mike Johnson, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, said that his second inauguration would be marked by visuals of flags flying in mourning.
Earlier this week, Johnson wrote on social media that on Monday, “On January 20th, the flags at the Capitol will fly at full-staff to celebrate our country coming together behind the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald Trump.”
Johnson noted that the flags would return to half-staff in memory of Carter the following day.
“The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter,” he added.
On January 20th, the flags at the Capitol will fly at full-staff to celebrate our country coming together behind the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald Trump.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 14, 2025
The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter.
The dispute stemmed from the practice of lowering flags to half-staff for 30 days following the death of any former president. US President Joe Biden followed that procedure after Carter’s death, and the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted he did not plan to change the regular pattern to accommodate Trump.
The president-elect, however, complained about the issue for weeks and said that the proposed flying of flags at half-staff was a mark of Democratic disrespect.
In a social media post on January 3, Trump complained that Democrats were “giddy” about the idea.
“They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves,” Trump alleged.
The incoming president added that, because of Carter’s death, “the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half-mast. Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it,” as per The Hill.
Is It Legal?
The U.S. Flag Code, a federal statute, provides specific guidelines on when and how the American flag should be displayed, including during a president’s death and on Inauguration Day.
The code states that the flag “should be displayed” on a number of days, including Inauguration Day, Independence Day and Veteran’s Day. Also, when a president or former president dies, the flag “shall be flown at half-staff on all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels in the District of Columbia, across the United States, and its territories” for 30 days, states the code.
However, it also specifies that the sitting president holds the authority to make changes to the code whenever he or she deems appropriate. While the Flag Code provides specific instructions, it also allows the president to adjust the guidelines as needed, based on circumstances or discretion.
Therefore, the decision is authorised and can be termed as legal. Notably, it has been made clear that the flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter.
Inaugural Celebrations Kicks Off
Meanwhile, US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump kicked off the inaugural celebrations with a bang, attending a fireworks display at the Trump Sterling Golf Club in Washington DC on Saturday, CBS News reported. The event marked the beginning of a series of festivities leading up to Trump’s second inauguration as President.
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