Flags at federal and state government agencies nationwide are flying at half-staff, and will do so through Inauguration Day on January 20, which coincides with Martin Luther King Day.
Here’s why flags are flying at half-staff, and why President-elect Donald Trump isn’t thrilled with the decision.
Why are flags at half-staff?
Federal and state flags are being flown at half-staff as a sign of respect for late former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Monday, Dec. 29, 2024. Carter served as the the 39th President of the United States.
President Joe Biden issued the flag proclamation shortly after Carter’s death became public, and confirmed that flags will remain at half-staff at least through January 28.
Donald Trump against timing of flag-lowering honor
President-elect Donald Trump has lashed out over flags being flown at half-staff during his upcoming inauguration but the White House said it isn’t reconsidering the order.
Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president on Jan. 20, which falls within the 30-day window.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, incorrectly using the term that refers to flags being flown halfway up the mast on a ship, not a flag pole. “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 went on to slam Democratic leadership in his social media post.
“Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess!” Trump said. “In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, 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. Let’s see how it plays out.”
His stance on the flag-lowering honor aside, Trump did say that he would attend funeral services for Carter.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why flags will stay at half-staff, and why Trump doesn’t like it