Ferguson orders U.S. flags at full-staff on Inauguration Day
Washington's new governor becomes second Democrat to order such a move for day Trump is sworn in
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is directing all American flags at state agencies to be flown at full-staff Monday to mark President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, which falls during the national mourning period for former President Jimmy Carter.
President Joe Biden last month directed flags to be displayed at half-staff for 30 days at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds to honor Carter, who died Dec. 29 at age 100.
Ferguson’s announcement in a Friday news release did not mention Trump by name, but said instead the raised flags are in “honor of Inauguration Day.”
His directive says flags will be lowered to half-staff Tuesday morning until Wednesday, Jan. 29, when the formal mourning for Carter concludes.
Ferguson isn’t the first Democratic governor to order flags be raised for a limited time Monday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom joined red states in raising flags for the inauguration earlier this week. The Republican governors who have made similar declarations are: Alabama’s Kay Ivey, Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Idaho’s Brad Little, Iowa’s Kim Reynolds, Nebraska’s Jim Pillen, North Dakota’s Kelly Armstrong, Tennessee’s Bill Lee and Texas’ Greg Abbott.
The federal flag code says the sitting president must order all flags be flown at half-staff for a 30-day period upon the death of a former president. However, there is no enforcement or penalty if that order is not complied.
In February 1973, then-President Richard Nixon opted to raise flags — which he had ordered lowered in mourning following the death of former President Lyndon B. Johnson — before the 30-day mark to honor the first American prisoners of war released from Vietnam. The hiatus only lasted a day, and flags went back to half-staff thereafter for eight days.
Flags had also been at half-staff when Nixon was sworn in for his second term in January 1973, due to Nixon having ordered them lowered after the death of former President Harry S. Truman.
Material from The Associated Press is included in this report.
