Staff Reports
In a classic display of the left’s sensitivity over appearances, President Biden has declared a full 30 days of half-staff flag flying across the nation to commemorate the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, who recently hit the century mark before leaving this earthly realm. But not everyone is playing along with this flag protocol. The ever-controversial Mar-a-Lago club owned by none other than President Trump is flying its flag high and proud at full-staff, leaving some scratching their heads and others howling in delight.
The Associated Press has confirmed that Trump’s flag did drop to half-staff following Carter’s funeral, in an attempt to play by the rules set out by both Biden and Florida’s own Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. However, in a plot twist worthy of a soap opera, the flag was lifted back to full staff shortly after the funeral. Perhaps the folks at Mar-a-Lago don’t see the need to stay grounded in mourning when they could be celebrating the American spirit instead.
Trump has raised the U.S. flags at Mar-a-Lago to full staff. pic.twitter.com/NwNKlPYv9a
— Ben Owen (@hrkbenowen) January 14, 2025
This is not the first time Trump has voiced displeasure about the perceived injustice of the flag being at half-staff during significant occasions. It was just a few weeks ago that he took to social media to lament the Democrats’ excited anticipation over an American flag being flown low during his inauguration—a so-called unprecedented event that could cast a pall over the celebrations. Trump’s concern that no American should be forced to look at a flag hung in sadness on such a momentous day illustrates his keen understanding of national pride.
The media, including outlets like Los Angeles’ ABC 7 Eyewitness News, are quick to cite the U.S. Flag Code and its mandated half-staff regulations, which state that flags are to be lowered for 30 days following the death of a sitting or former president. They casually overlook that Richard Nixon, during his presidency, had his fair share of flag lifting and lowering drama. Nixon raised the flag during his own inauguration after witnessing the sorrowful lowering of flags in memory of former President Harry S. Truman, only to lower them again upon the death of Lyndon Johnson. History shows that even great leaders have maneuvered around the rigid protocols of flag etiquette.
In the meantime, House Speaker Mike Johnson has made it clear that the flags on Capitol Hill will momentarily rise to full staff during Trump’s inauguration, a brief breakout of celebration before returning to half-staff the very next day to continue honoring Carter. It’s almost as though he’s treading carefully on a political tightrope, trying to please both sides while avoiding a Rube Goldberg-esque disaster of political optics. In a landscape filled with divided sentiments, one thing remains constant: the conversation around flags and their positioning is always a splendid battleground for political jest and jabs.
