Texas Governor Gregg Abbott said he will not keep flags at half-staff during Trump’s inauguration. And now the U.S. Capital is following suit.
Joe Biden ordered the flags to go to half-staff for 30 days to commemorate the life of President Jimmy Carter. But it just so happens that this 30-day period also coincides with Donald Trump’s second inauguration. And some found that to be a bit intolerable, to have the flags at half-staff for Trump’s big day would be insulting.
That appears to be what Gov. Abbott was thinking, anyway. Abbott ordered the flags in Texas to be raised to full height during the January 20th inauguration festivities. Then lowered back down to observe the passing of Carter.
“Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter,” Abbott said explaining his order. “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.”
Now it looks like House Speaker Mike Johnson is following suit and has ordered the U.S. flags on Capitol Hill to also be raised to full-staff on Jan. 20, the lowered afterward.
“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,” Johnson wrote in a post on X. “The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter.”
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