The White House has declined to alter its decision to keep flags at half-mast in honor of former President Jimmy Carter.
President-elect Donald Trump has voiced strong objections to the decision to fly American flags at half-staff during his upcoming inauguration on January 20, 2025. President Biden ordered the flags lowered to honor former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 100.
According to US flag code, flags are typically flown at half-staff for 30 days following the death of a former or current president, extending this period until January 28th.
In a Friday statement, Trump accused Democrats of celebrating the half-staff flags, suggesting this demonstrates a lack of patriotism.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” he stated. “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 asserted this would be a first for presidential inaugurations, claiming “nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it.”
However, US flags were flown at half-staff during former President Richard Nixon’s second inauguration in January 1973, following President Nixon’s order after the death of former President Harry S. Truman.
Historically, the 30-day half-staff period has been adjusted at the discretion of the sitting president. In 1973, after the death of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, President Nixon ordered flags raised briefly to full-staff to honor returning American prisoners of war from Vietnam before resuming the mourning period.
Trump has previously shown displeasure with lowering flags. In 2018, following Senator John McCain’s death, flags were temporarily raised to full-staff before being lowered again due to public backlash.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to Trump’s comments, confirming the Biden administration’s intention to maintain the half-staff flags during the inauguration.