By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-03 22:06:38 | Updated at 2025-01-05 21:46:15
1 day ago
The White House is flat-out rejecting Donald Trump's protestations about flags flying at half staff during his historic inauguration to honor the death of Jimmy Carter at age 100.
The answer came in a one-word response from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, when a reporter noted Trump's concerns and asked if it was a decision the White House would consider reversing or reevaluating.
'No,' Jean-Pierre responded curtly and moved on.
It came after Trump raged at President Joe Biden for ordering all the government's flags to fly at half staff for a 30-day period that includes his inauguration.
Trump, who said the nation owed Carter a 'debt of gratitude' after the former president died in his home of Plains, Georgia on December 29, on Friday accused Democrats of failing to love the country while fuming over the flag issue.
'The Democrats are all “giddy” about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at “half mast” during my Inauguration,' Trump posted on his Truth Social web site.
'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! In any event, 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. Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it.'
'Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Trump said.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president was not reconsidering a decision to order flags at half staff to honor Jimmy Carter, who died last month at 100
His last comment appeared to tease the prospect that the flag might fly at full staff when he takes the oath having vowed to 'Make America Great Again.'
But Biden's proclamation issued 'by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States,' calls for the flag to fly at half staff for 30 days in tribute to Carter.
His proclamation calls it an 'expression of public sorrow,' and applies to all public buildings, military posts, naval stations, and naval stations of the federal government in D.C. and around the world.
It also applies to embassies, consular offices, and military facilities overseas.
President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation designating the times when flags would fly at half-staff: 30 days for the death of a president or former president, ten for the vice president, a chief justice of the Supreme Court, or the Speaker of the House.
It established government facilities that would follow the proclamation. Trump presumably could reverse Biden's order as soon as he becomes president after noon on January 20.
Biden ordered flags at half staff for a period of 30 days
By the book: Jean-Pierre was asked about the flag after Donald Trump raged that flags would be at half staff for his inauguration.
'In any event, 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. Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it,' said Trump
President Biden ordered flags be lowered for 30 days. He appeared to take jabs at Trump when he issued remarks on Carter's death
President Jimmy Carter is dead at the age of 100. President Joe Biden made brief comments about his friend Sunday night from St. Croix telling reporters: 'I've been hanging out with Jimmy Carter for over 50 years'
The Capitol, as the seat of a separate legislative branch established by Article 1 of the Constitution, sets its own procedures and even has its own power plant, but tends to take cues from the executive when flags are ordered lowered to honor officials such as deceased lawmakers or Supreme Court Justices.
It was not immediately known whether Trump was seeking to intervene to have officials in the Capitol intervene on his behalf. The House on Monday reelected Mike Johnson as speaker by a narrow margin after a final push by Trump Friday morning.
Biden appeared to take jabs at Trump when he issued his first public comments on Carter's death, hailing Carter for his 'decency.'
'Can you imagine Jimmy Carter walking by someone who needs something and just keeps walking?' Biden asked. 'Can you imagine Jimmy Carter referring to someone by the way they look or the way they talk?'
'I can't, I can't,' Biden said.
'In today's world some look at Jimmy Carter and see a man of a bygone era, with honesty and character, faith and humility... But I don't think it's bygone era. I see a man not only of our time but for all times,' Biden argued.
