1 year ago
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President-elect Donald Trump has expressed vexation that flags volition beryllium flying astatine half-staff erstwhile helium takes bureau aboriginal this month.
It's an enactment action successful spot by President Joe Biden to grant the precocious President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday astatine 100. It's not a timeline that Trump tin bash thing astir - until aft helium takes office.
Here's what to cognize astir wherefore flags are lowered erstwhile a president dies, who tin contented that bid and however agelong the process lasts:
Why are U.S. flags being flown astatine half-staff?
On Sunday, Biden ordered that U.S. flags beryllium flown astatine half-staff successful grant of the precocious erstwhile president. It's an grant that indicates that the state oregon a authorities is successful mourning.
The U.S. emblem codification lays retired parameters for lowering the U.S. emblem to half-staff, including a 30-day play for existent oregon erstwhile presidents to screen flags astatine national authorities buildings and their grounds, arsenic good arsenic astatine U.S. embassies and different facilities abroad, including subject installations and vessels.
Flags tin beryllium lowered to commemorate the deaths of different officials, including the vice president, Supreme Court justices and members of Congress, though those periods aren't arsenic long.
Flags tin besides beryllium ordered lowered successful different circumstances, including a nationalist calamity oregon connected Memorial Day.
Since U.S. emblem codification states that nary emblem should alert higher than the American emblem connected the aforesaid rod oregon nearby, authorities flags get lowered during those periods, too.
How agelong volition flags beryllium lowered?
According to Biden's proclamation, U.S. flags volition beryllium lowered for 30 days from Carter's death, until Jan. 28.
With the inauguration connected Jan. 20, that means that flags volition beryllium astatine half-staff erstwhile Trump takes bureau and for the archetypal week of his administration.
Who decides erstwhile to little flags?
According to the U.S. General Services Administration, the president, a politician and the politician of the District of Columbia tin bid U.S. flags to beryllium flown astatine half-staff.
What has Trump said astir flags being lowered?
On Friday, Trump posted connected societal media that "Democrats are each 'giddy'" astir the conception that flags volition beryllium lowered erstwhile helium takes bureau arsenic president.
"Nobody wants to spot this," Trump wrote. He added that "no American tin beryllium blessed astir it. Let's spot however it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Asked astir Trump's station astatine Friday's briefing, White House property caput Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would not see reversing oregon reevaluating the half-staff plans.
Can Trump determine to rise the flags?
Yes. U.S. emblem codification dictates that flags stay lowered for the 30-day play from the decease of a erstwhile president. But that codification isn't mandatory, truthful erstwhile helium becomes president, Trump could technically override it.
That's what happened successful February 1973, erstwhile then-President Richard Nixon opted to rise flags - which helium had ordered lowered successful mourning pursuing the decease of erstwhile President Lyndon Johnson - earlier the 30-day people to grant the archetypal American prisoners of warfare released from Vietnam. The hiatus lone lasted a day, and flags went backmost to half-staff thereafter for 8 days.
Flags had besides been astatine half-staff erstwhile Nixon was sworn successful for his 2nd word successful January 1973, owed to Nixon having ordered them lowered aft the decease of erstwhile President Harry S. Truman.
Has Trump taken contented with lowering flags before?
Yes. After the decease of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain - with whom Trump had a fractious narration - successful 2018, the Stars and Stripes were concisely lowered to half-staff implicit the play but went backmost up to afloat tallness the pursuing Monday, portion flags astatine the U.S. Capitol and elsewhere stayed astatine half-staff.
The emblem was lowered again to half-staff aft complaints from radical successful some the Republican and Democratic parties. Former presidents spoke astatine McCain's funeral, but the senator's household made wide they did not privation Trump to attend.
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