Why are American flags flying at half-staff on Inauguration Day?

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. And even though Trump will be the first president to take the oath of office with American flags flown at half-staff, that’s not a timeline he can do anything about — 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:

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.

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.

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.

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 it 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.

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 1973, when President Richard Nixon chose to raise flags – which he had ordered lowered in mourning after the death of former President Lyndon Johnson – before the deadline. 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.

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.