The White House has no plans to raise U.S. flags flying at half-mast across the country as a result of former President Jimmy Carter’s death for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
When asked Friday if the White House could raise the flag for Trump’s big day, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “no.”
Trump spoke out on social media about the issue earlier Friday. His inauguration is set for Jan. 20, in the middle the mourning period for the late Jimmy Carter.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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.”
Former President Jimmy Carter, the 39th president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, died on Dec. 29 at his home in Plains, Ga. As a result, flags were lowered to half-staff to pay tribute to him. The White House announced flags remain that way for 30 days after Carter’s death.
“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,” Trump wrote. “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out.”
The flags will be lowered at all federal public buildings and grounds and at military posts, naval stations and commissioned naval vessels.
