The 39th US President, Jimmy Carter, passed away on December 29th, 2024. Recently, President-elect Donald Trump posted on his social media app, Truth Social, that he did not want the flag to be flown at half-staff on his Inauguration Day.
However, the flag being flown at half-staff is entirely justified since it is a symbolic gesture to honor a president who has passed.
After the death of former president Jimmy Carter, American flags throughout the country are to be flown at half-staff as a sign of respect. Since his passing on December 29th, the flag will be lowered for the 30 days after, in compliance with the National Archives federal timeline. This will interfere with Inauguration Day, on January 20th, since it falls within the 30-day window.
Upon hearing this, Donald Trump then posted on his social media app, Truth Social, that “Nobody wants to see this. No American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” He said this was the first time the flag had flown at half-staff during an Inauguration ceremony.
Federal rules require the flag to be flown at half-staff on all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels in Washington, D.C., on the day of and the day after a U.S. senator passes. Many presidents have honored other senators who have passed by keeping the flag at half-staff until their burials.
In 2018, John McCain, an Arizona senator, passed on a Saturday, according to CNN. Just after midnight on Sunday night, less than 48 hours since McCain’s passing, the flag above the White House was raised to full staff. Only after criticism and a request from the American Legion did Trump sign a proclamation to fly the flag at half-staff until McCain’s internment.
However, former President Jimmy Carter was honorable and worked hard to improve the country. He served in the Navy and helped with Habitat for Humanity. He deserves a final symbol of respect and honor for his service to the country.
While it is unfortunate that this coincides with the inauguration of the United States’ 47th president, the rules shouldn’t be changed. It is entirely justifiable to fly the flags at half-staff at Trump’s inauguration ceremony as a sign of respect that former president Jimmy Carter deserves.
While Pennsylvania citizens might not be able to impact Trump’s opinions on the matter, they can reach out to local government officials to express their views or organize ways to honor former president Jimmy Carter and his contributions to the country.
