Why Are Flags at Half-Staff on Inauguration Day This Year

Washington: So, here’s the scoop. President-elect Donald Trump is not too happy about flags being flown at half-staff when he takes office on January 20. This is all because President Joe Biden ordered it to honor the late Jimmy Carter, who passed away last month at the age of 100.

Now, Trump can’t really change this until he officially takes over, but he did raise a big U.S. flag at his Mar-a-Lago home back to full height after Carter’s burial.

So, why do flags get lowered when a president dies? It’s a sign of mourning, and Biden’s order means flags will stay at half-staff for 30 days. This includes federal buildings and U.S. embassies around the world.

Flags can also be lowered for other officials or during national tragedies, but the 30-day rule applies specifically to former presidents.

With the inauguration coming up, flags will still be at half-staff when Trump is sworn in, which he’s not thrilled about. He even mentioned on social media that Democrats seem to be enjoying this situation.

Technically, once he becomes president, Trump could decide to raise the flags, but that’s not a common move. It’s happened before, like when Nixon raised flags early to honor POWs.

At his Florida club, Trump initially followed protocol by lowering the flag but has since raised it back up. He did pay his respects to Carter at the Capitol and attended the funeral, so it’s a bit of a mixed bag for him.

Interestingly, Trump has had issues with flag protocol before, like when McCain passed away. The flags were briefly raised back up before being lowered again after public outcry. It’s a tricky situation for sure!