California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom will temporarily raise the American flag to full height on Inauguration Day next week, joining a handful of GOP governors and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson in the decision.
Newsom’s press office confirmed the decision to Fox News Digital on Wednesday evening.
Traditionally, flags at the U.S. Capitol and state buildings across the country are flying at half-staff due to the death of former President Jimmy Carter on December 29, 2024.
Flags temporarily flown to full height will return to half-mast on January 21 for the remainder of the 30-day mourning period, which ends on January 28 – eight days after President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered that flags at the Capitol will temporarily fly at full staff on January 20 for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. (Getty/AP)
As of Thursday morning, Newsom is the only Democratic governor to issue the directive, which comes as Southern California is ravaged by catastrophic forest fires.
Similar decisions were recently made by Idaho Governor Brad Little, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. of whom are Republicans.
House Speaker Johnson also ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to fly at full staff Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Trump has criticized the possibility of flags being flown at half-mast his inauguration after Carter’s death.
Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson also ordered that the flag at the U.S. Capitol temporarily fly at full staff to mark Trump’s inauguration. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our beautiful American flag potentially flying at half-mast during my inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on January 3. “They love it so much and are so happy about it because: in reality they don’t love our country, they only think about themselves.”
“Look what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the last four years – it’s a total mess! In any case, due to the death of President Jimmy Carter, the flag may be at half-mast for the first time ever during an inauguration of a future president,” he continued. “No one wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it turns out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
President-elect Trump has criticized the possibility of the flag flying at half-mast during his inauguration on January 20, despite it falling during the 30-day mourning period following the death of former President Jimmy Carter. (Donald Trump/Truth Social)
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When former President Nixon was sworn in for his second term in 1973, flags were flown at half-mast, after Nixon ordered the flags lowered after World War II. death of former President Truman.
Landon Mion of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
