House GOP speaker orders Capitol flags to fly at full-staff at Trump's inauguration
WASHINGTON ― At the request of President-elect Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson is suspending a 30-day mourning period for the late President Jimmy Carter to allow flags at the U.S. Capitol to fly at full staff at Trump's inauguration next week.
Johnson announced the move in a statement Tuesday less than a week before Trump is sworn in as the 47th president outside the Capitol on Monday.
"On January 20th, 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," Johnsons said in a statement. "The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter.”
U.S. flags have been flying at half-staff at all federal properties including the Capitol since Dec. 29, when President Joe Biden ordered the measure of respect following Carter's death for 30 days ‒ the prescribed federal timeframe for lowering flags after a president's death since 1954.
Trump, who attended Carter's funeral service in Washington last week, has objected that the flag ritual will coincide with his inauguration.
In a social media post earlier this month, Trump accused Democrats of being "giddy" that the flags would be at half-staff during his inauguration. "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out," Trump said in his Jan. 3 post on Truth Social.
The White House has said Biden won't reconsider the flag order.
At Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence and private club in South Florida, American flags were spotted on Tuesday flying at half-staff again, one day after The Associated Press reported spotting one raised to its full height.
Why are the flags at half-staff?
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died on Dec. 29, 2024 at 100 years old. It is customary for the flags to be at half-staff 30 days after a president dies. However, occasionally this tradition is shortened for other events or holidays that happen within those 30 days.
Has the flag ever been risen to full-staff before the 30 days were over after a presidents death before now?
Yes, flags were raised on July 4, 2004, 29 days after former president Ronald Reagan died on June 5, 2004.
Will Nevada state and local offices raise flags to full-staff on Jan. 20?
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo ordered flags to half-staff for 30 days starting Dec. 29, according to a release. It is currently unclear if Nevada will be one of the states that will raise their flags on Jan. 20. RGJ emailed and called the governor's office but has not received comment yet.