Mike Johnson Reverses Biden’s Flag Order for Inauguration Day

Balancing the respect due to the living and the dead, House Speaker Mike Johnson has issued an order about the flying of American flags at the U.S. Capitol.

President Joe Biden had ordered that flags be at half-staff for a full month after the death of former President Jimmy Carter.

“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,” a news release quoted Johnson as saying.

Johnson’s order only applies to flags at the Capitol.

“The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter,” he said.

After President-elect Trump’s inauguration, flags will return to half-staff until Jan. 28 to honor President Carter. https://t.co/4VVuZ8Fctd

— 10/11 News (@1011_News) January 14, 2025

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that Texas would raise its flags for the day of the inauguration and then lower then again the day after.

“Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. 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,” Abbott explained.

“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,” he said.

As noted by the Associated Press, other Republican governors have followed suit.

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds took similar actions on Tuesday.

“The inauguration of a U.S. president is a time to celebrate, and the Stars and Stripes should fly high as a symbol of freedom and democracy on such a momentous day for our nation,” Armstrong said in a news release.

Ivey said in her release that federal code calls for flying the flag Inauguration Day.

Trump had been displeased after Biden’s announcement that the flags for his inauguration would be lowered.

“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on . “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! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast,” Trump wrote.

“Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

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