The American flag will be seen flying both full staff and half-staff during the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States on January. 20.
Both displays of the nation’s national symbol may be deemed correct regardless of which of the two positions they are flying.
Under the Federal Flag Act PL 93-444, while there are no federal penalties involved, all American flags are governed by the procedures set by the law which gives the President of the United States the right to issue directives on flag displays for ceremonial and symbolic reasons. State Governors also have the right to issue directives for within their own states.
The purpose of the American flag display is both ceremonial and symbolic.
This January 20, however, there is a conflict on the ceremonial celebration surrounding the inauguration of the President of the United States and the symbolism of showing respect for the passing of a leader of the nation.
Since President Jimmy Carter died December 29, the flag code, and President Biden, said the flag, as tradition, should be flown at half-staff for 30 days in his memory. That mourning period does not expire until January 27, 2205.
On January 20, 2025, with Trump being sworn in as President, Speaker of the House Michael Johnson has issued, correctly, a directive that the flag on the Capitol building be flown at full staff during the Inaugural ceremony to honor the inauguration. President Biden issued no order for other federal property, which means every other federal building shall keep the flag at half-staff during the inauguration, maintaining no break in the proper 30-day period for President Carter.
That means that for that ceremonial time, while the flag at the Capitol will be at full staff, the flags at all other federal buildings, all military installations, and all post offices, will be flown at half-staff.
To date, only Texas and Alabama have issued directives that the American flags on their state properties shall be flown at full staff during the inaugural ceremony and will be lowered to half-staff for the remainder of the Carter memorial time. Absent gubernatorial directives before January 20, all other states will continue to fly their banners at half-staff without interruption to honor President Carter through January 27.
The confluence of the two major events honoring Presidents only occurred once before at the inauguration of Richard Nixon as President. When he was sworn in as President in January 1973, he ordered the flags of federal buildings would be flown at full staff. They had been at half-staff since December 26, 1972, to honor the death of former President Harry Truman. Nixon served as President until August, 1974.
