Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson announced Tuesday that the flags at the U.S. Capitol will be raised for the entire staff next Monday, January 20, to mark President-elect Donald Trump inauguration.
The move comes despite the official order President Biden After the death of former President Jimmy Carter on December 29, flags across the country were expected to fly at half-mast for a 30-day mourning period.
“On January 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 following day, flags will be lowered again at half-staff to continue to honor President Jimmy Carter,” Johnson said in a statement.
THIS REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SAYS FLAGS WILL FLY FULL STAFF AT TRUMP INAUGURATION IN HIS STATE
Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, left, shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump on stage during a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Johnson is a big supporter of Trump, and the president-elect’s recent support helped Johnson diffuse some far-right Republicans’ opposition to his re-election as chairman in the new Congress.
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Under the U.S. Flag Code, U.S. flags are flown at half-mast for 30 days to mark the death of a current or former president, at federal government buildings, military installations and ships, and at U.S. embassies and other facilities near the U.S. world.
Flags fly at half-staff in memory of former President Jimmy Carter during a winter snowstorm at Union Station in Washington, DC, on Monday, January 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Trump earlier this month claimed on social media that “the Democrats are all ‘giddy’” about flags flying at half-mast during his inauguration.
“No one wants to see this,” Trump argued. “No American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it turns out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
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The U.S. flag code is not mandatory, meaning Trump can technically set it aside once he is inaugurated as president.
The American flag is displayed on the grounds of Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, as a U.S. Coast Guard boat patrols the area, Monday, January 13, 2025. American flags at President-elect’s private Mar-a Donald Trump -Lago club is flying at full height again. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The Associated Press noted that a flag at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, flew at full height on Monday.
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The flag flew at half-mast but was flown in the days following Carter’s funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the funeral in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, both of which took place Thursday.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday that flags at the Capitol in Austin and at all state office buildings would also be flown for the full staff next Monday to mark Trump’s inauguration.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report
