The elected president of the United States, Donald Trumphas expressed frustration that flags will fly at half-mast when he takes office in a couple of weeks.
It is a measure taken by President Joe Biden to honor former President Jimmy Carterwho died on Sunday at the age of 100. And it’s not like Trump can do anything about it, at least not until after he takes office. Here’s what you need to know about why flags are lowered when a former president dies, who can issue that order, and how long the process takes:
Biden on Sunday ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the late former president. It is an honor that indicates that the country or a state is in mourning.
The flag code USA establishes parameters for lowering the American flag to half-mast, including a 30-day period for presidents or former presidents that applies to flags on federal government buildings and grounds, as well as on U.S. embassies and other establishments abroad, including military installations and ships.
Flags may also be lowered to commemorate the deaths of other officials, including vice presidents, Supreme Court justices and members of Congress, although those periods are not as long. Flags may also be flown at half-mast in other circumstances, such as a national tragedy or on Memorial Day..
Since the United States flag code states that no flag may be raised higher than the American flag on the same or nearby flagpole, state flags are also lowered during those periods.
Under Biden’s proclamation, American flags will be flown at half-staff for 30 days following Carter’s death; that is: until January 28. Since the inauguration is scheduled for January 20, that means that Flags will fly at half-mast when Trump takes office and during the first week of his administration.
As established by the General Services Administration, the president, a governor and the mayor of the District of Columbia can order that American flags be placed at half-staff.
Trump posted on social media Friday that “Democrats are all ‘ecstatic’” about the idea of flags being at half-mast when he takes office as president.
“No one wants to see this”Trump wrote. He added that “no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it develops. Let’s make America great again!”
Asked about Trump’s post at Friday’s press conference, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would not consider reversing or reassessing half-mast flag plans.
Yes. The United States flag code dictates that flags remain at half-mast during the 30-day period following the death of a former president. But that code is not mandatory, so once he becomes president, Trump could technically override it.
That is what happened in February 1973, when then-president Richard Nixon He chose to raise the flags at full mast before the 30 days of mourning—which he had ordered after the death of the former president—were completed. Lyndon Johnson— to honor the first American prisoners of war released from Vietnam. The pause lasted only one day, and the flags were again flown at half-mast for the next eight days.
The flags were also at half-mast when Nixon was sworn in for his second term in January 1973, because Nixon had ordered them lowered for the former president’s death. Harry S. Truman.
Yes. After the death of the Republican senator from Arizona John McCain, with whom Trump had a contentious relationship, in 2018, American flags were flown at half-mast over the weekend, but returned to full height the following Monday, while flags at the federal Capitol and elsewhere remained at half mast.
The flag was lowered again to half-staff after complaints from people in both 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.
(AP)
