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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, ordered flags temporarily flown at all staff of the president-elect Donald Trump’s opening on Monday.
“I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia be flown at all staff on all state and local buildings and grounds of the Commonwealth in recognition of the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States,” Youngkin said Saturday.
Youngkin’s directive comes despite President Biden’s order after the death of former President Jimmy Carter on December 29 that flags on all public and government buildings and grounds across the country should fly at half-mast for a 30-day mourning period, which only includes Inauguration Day.
It is tradition when a former president dies to order a 30-day mourning period and order flags to be flown at half-mast.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks as President-elect Donald Trump listens during a campaign rally at the Salem Civic Center on November 2, 2024 in Salem, Virginia. (Getty Images)
Biden said the U.S. flag “must be displayed at half-mast at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the federal government in the district of Columbia and throughout the territory. United States and its territories and possessions.”
Virginia flags will return to half-staff to honor Carter on Tuesday after the presidential inauguration, Youngkin said.
“Flags will be lowered to half-staff again the next day to continue honoring former President James Earl Carter, Jr. and will remain at half-staff until January 28, 2025,” the governor wrote.
Youngkin joins several Republican governors who have also broken with tradition and ordered flags to be flown on Monday, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. , Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Former President Jimmy Carter. (Photo via Emma Woodhead/Fox Digital)
A trio of Democratic governors California Governor Gavin NewsomColorado Gov. Jared Polis and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson have also ordered all Trump inauguration staff to fly flags before the end of the mourning period on Jan. 28.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also ordered that US Capitol flags be flown at all staff on Inauguration Day.
Trump has criticized the idea of flying flags at half-staff for his inauguration after Carter’s death.
“Democrats are all ‘giddy’ because our magnificent American flag could be at ‘half-mast’ during my inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on January 3. “They think it’s so great and they’re so happy about it because they don’t really love our country, they just think about themselves.”
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks during the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Path to Majority Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton on June 22, 2024 in Washington, DC (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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“Look at what they have done to our once GREAT America over the last four years – it’s a complete disaster! In any case, due to the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag can, for the first time, for a inauguration of a future president, stand at half-mast,” he continued. “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The flags were flown at half-staff when former President Nixon was sworn in for his second term in 1973 after Nixon ordered the flags lowered following the death of former President Truman.
