Abbott to raise flags to full staff for inauguration

AUSTIN – Newsweek reports that Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered on Monday for the flags at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings to be raised to full-staff on January 20 in honor of Inauguration Day.

Newsweek reached out to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team and the Biden administration for comment Monday morning via email.

Biden ordered the United States flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days following former President Jimmy Carter’s death on December 29. Because U.S. flag code requires flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days from the death of a sitting or former president, the flags would remain lowered when Trump was sworn in for a second term on January 20.

The U.S. flag is flown at half-staff at the U.S. Capitol on January 12. Texas Governor Greg Abbott (L) has ordered flags to be flown at full-staff on President-elect Donald Trump’s (R) Inauguration Day.

Abbott’s press release on Monday noted that the federal statute declares that the flag “should be displayed ‘especially on…Inauguration Day, January 20.'”

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

Earlier this month, Trump complained on Truth Social about the flags being at half-staff “for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President.”

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

However, the sitting president made the proclamation to lower a flag, so Trump cannot do anything until he is fully sworn into office.

Other States’ Plans

Currently, all other states are honoring Biden’s ruling.

“No such orders have been issued at this time,” Ohio Governor Mark DeWine’s press secretary told Newsweek.

Newsweek reached out to the press offices of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming’s governors via phone call for comment.

Newsweek emailed the communications teams for Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota’s governors for comment.
What People Are Saying

Texas Governor Abbott, in a press release: “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. 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.”

President-elect Donald Trump, on Truth Social: “The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half-mast’ during my Inauguration. 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.”

What’s Next

Flags are meant to be flown at half-staff to honor Carter until Tuesday, January 28, meaning they will be lowered during Trump’s inauguration and through the first week of Trump’s second term.

Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on January 20.