Five days out from President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, preparations for the event have been accented by controversy – perhaps unsurprisingly.
An order from President Joe Biden after the death of former president Jimmy Carter in late December mandated all flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days in honor of the late public servant. The measure is in line with the U.S. flag code, which covers flags at federal government buildings and their grounds.
But with Trump’s inauguration taking place within that span, the second president set to serve non-consecutive terms voiced qualms over lowered pennants on the day of the ceremony.
“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 on Truth Social earlier this month. “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was recently reelected to the position ahead of Trump’s second term, stayed in line with Trump’s call, indicating at a press conference Monday that flags would indeed fly full staff on January 20. He also said Biden’s order would return to effect the following day to continue honoring Carter’s legacy.
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.
The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 14, 2025
It would not have been the first time lowered flags were flown at a presidential inauguration. In 1973, banners remained lowered at Richard Nixon’s swearing-in as the day came within the 30-day mourning period after the death of former president Harry Truman.
But along with Johnson and Trump, an array of different U.S. governors has announced an intention to raise flags in their own states on the day that Trump is officially installed as the commander-in-chief, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. Mississippi’s top politician, Gov. Tate Reeves, plans to follow suit.
“Yeah, we’re definitely working on that right now,” Reeves told The Gallo Show Wednesday. “We have federal laws we have to follow, but I believe that all flags should fly at full staff on inauguration day.”
As the governor says, his office plans to adhere to ongoing federal flag mandates. But Speaker Johnson’s decree that flags will be fully hoisted at the inauguration likely means Mississippi will emulate the order.
