Inauguration Day 2025: President-elect Donald Trump’s frustrated flags will fly at half-staff to honor Jimmy Carter

President-elect Donald Trump has expressed frustration that flags will be flown at half-staff when he takes office later this month.

This is an action put in place by President Joe Biden to honor the late President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at age 100. This is not a timetable on which Trump can do anything – until he takes office.

Here’s what you need to know about why flags are lowered when a president dies, who can issue the order, and how long the process takes:

Why do American flags fly at half-mast?

On Sunday, Biden ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the deceased former president. It is an honor that indicates that the country or a state is in mourning.

The American Flag Code sets parameters for lowering the American flag at half-staff, including a 30-day deadline for current or former presidents to cover flags on federal government buildings and their grounds, as well as U.S. embassies and other countries. other facilities abroad. including military installations and vessels.

Flags may be lowered to commemorate the deaths of other officials, including the vice president, Supreme Court justices, and members of Congress, although these periods are not as long.

Flags may also be ordered to be lowered in other circumstances, including times of national tragedy or on Memorial Day.

Since the American Flag Code states that no flag shall be flown higher than the American flag on or near the same flagpole, state flags are also lowered during these times.

How long will the flags be lowered?

According to Biden’s proclamation, American flags will be lowered for 30 days from Carter’s death, until January 28.

With the inauguration on January 20, that means flags will be at half-staff when Trump takes office and during the first week of his administration.

Who decides when to lower the flags?

According to the United States General Services Administration, the president, a governor, and the mayor of the District of Columbia can order American flags to be lowered to half-staff.

What did Trump say about lowering flags?

On Friday, Trump posted on social media that “Democrats are all ‘giddy'” that flags will be lowered when he takes office as president.

“No one wants to see this,” Trump wrote. He added that “no American can be happy about this. Let’s see how this goes. LET’S MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Asked about Trump’s message during Friday’s briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would not consider canceling or reevaluating half-staff plans.

Can Trump decide to raise the flags?

Yes. The American flag code states that flags remain lowered for a period of 30 days following the death of a former president. But this code is not mandatory, so once he becomes president, Trump could technically waive it.

That’s what happened in February 1973, when President Richard Nixon chose to raise flags – which he had ordered lowered as a sign of mourning after the death of former President Lyndon Johnson – before the deadline of 30 days to honor the first American prisoners of war released from Vietnam. The pause lasted only one day, and the flags were then lowered to half-mast for eight days.

The flags were also at half-staff when Nixon was sworn in for his second term in January 1973, because Nixon had ordered them lowered after the death of former President Harry S. Truman.

Has Trump ever challenged the lowering of flags?

Yes. After the death of Arizona Republican Senator John McCain – with whom Trump had a strained relationship – in 2018, the Stars and Stripes flags were briefly lowered to half-mast over the weekend, but returned to full height on Monday following, while the flags were at half-mast. the U.S. Capitol and elsewhere remained at half-mast.

The flag was lowered to half-staff again after complaints from members of the Republican and Democratic parties. Former presidents spoke at McCain’s funeral, but the senator’s family made it clear they did not want Trump to attend.