Flags at the US Capitol will be raised to full-staff on Inauguration Day before being lowered again the next day to honour the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
The decision by the Republican Speaker ensures that President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration will not take place under a half-mast flag, something he had previously complained about.
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“On Jan. 20, 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. The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter,” Johnson wrote on X.
Similar directives have been issued by Republican governors in at least five states, including Florida, Iowa, Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee, where US flags will also be raised to full-staff for the inauguration and lowered to half-staff on 21 January in Carter’s memory.
While President Joe Biden’s executive order mandates flag-lowering on federal properties, state governments are not legally required to follow suit, though many traditionally align with federal guidelines.
In a statement on Monday, Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) said, “While we honour the service of a former president, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America.”
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Trump, five days after Carter’s death, voiced his objections on social media regarding flags potentially being at half-staff during his inauguration. He claimed, without evidence, that Democrats were “giddy” at the thought.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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"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," he said.
"Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It’s a total mess!" Trump added.
(With inputs from agencies)