Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered on Monday for the flags at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings raised to full-staff on January 20, in honor of Inauguration Day.
Newsweek reached out to President-elect Donald Trump's transition team and President Joe Biden's administration for comment Monday morning via email.
Why It Matters
Biden ordered the United States flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days following former President Jimmy Carter's death. Carter was the longest-living American president when he died December 29, 2024, at 100. This was to mean that the flags would remain lowered when Trump is sworn in for a second term on January 20.
U.S. flag code requires flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days from the death of a sitting or former president.
What To Know
Abbott's press release on Monday noted that the federal statute declares that the flag "should be displayed 'especially on...Inauguration Day, January 20.'"
"Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter," Abbott said. "While we honor 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."
Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, earlier this month to complain about the flags being at half-staff, "for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President."
"Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it," Trump posted. "Let's see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
However, the proclamation to lower a flag is made by the sitting president, so Trump is unable to do anything until after he is fully sworn into office.
What People Are Saying
Abbott in a press release: "President Carter's steadfast leadership left a lasting legacy that will be felt for generations to come, which together as a nation we honor by displaying flags at half-staff for 30 days. On January 20, our great nation will celebrate our democratic tradition of transferring power to a new President by inaugurating the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. As we unite our country and usher in this new era of leadership, I ordered all flags to be raised to full-staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings for the inauguration of President Trump."
President-elect Trump on Truth Social: "The Democrats are all "giddy" about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at "half-mast" during my Inauguration. 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. Look at what they've done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It's a total mess"
JoJoFromJerz, on X: "Trump is flipping out because the flags will be at half-staff during his inauguration in honor of former President Jimmy Carter. He's threatening to force them to be flown at full staff to soothe his f'ng ego. Has there ever been a bigger fucking whiner in the history of time?"
What's Next
Flags are meant to be flown at half-staff to honor Carter until Tuesday, January 28 —meaning they will be lowered during Trump's inauguration and through the first week of Trump's second term.
Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on January 20.
English (US) ·