In early January 2025, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump reportedly complained about the American flag being flown at half-staff on the day of his second presidential inauguration. Flags were lowered in December 2024 to honor late former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29, 2024.
Snopes readers asked whether Trump had said the flags should be raised fully for his inauguration, or whether he had complained about them being at "half mast" for Carter. A number of posts on X also poked fun at Trump, including calling him a "baby" for the reported complaint.
One post said: "Trump is flipping out because the flags will be at half staff during his inauguration in honor of former President Jimmy Carter."
While Trump did criticize the flags being flown at "half mast," most of his ire appeared to be directed at the Democrats for reportedly being "giddy" about the decision. On Jan. 3, 2025, Trump's official TruthSocial account shared the following post about the flags:
The Democrats are all "giddy" about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at "half mast" during my Inauguration. 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. Look at what they've done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It's a total mess! 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. Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let's see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
(TruthSocial user @realDonaldTrump)
Trump mentioned Carter once in his post, to state "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." It does not appear that he was complaining about Carter specifically, and was instead angry about the Democrats' decision to let the flag fly at half-staff. Whether or not this was a complaint is also entirely subjective.
According to U.S. code, flags are traditionally flown at half-staff by the order of the president to honor the deaths of important government figures. The death of a former president means the flag will be flown at half -staff for 30 days. The code states:
By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. […] The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
After Carter's death, President Joe Biden thus proclaimed the flags would be flown at half-staff for the allotted time. Per his proclamation (emphasis ours):
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, in honor and tribute to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr., and as an expression of public sorrow, do hereby direct that the flag of the United States be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions for a period of 30 days from the day of his death. I also direct that, for the same length of time, the representatives of the United States in foreign countries shall make similar arrangements for the display of the flag at half‑staff over their embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House had no plans to raise the flags during Trump's inauguration.
Trump infamously ordered flags to be raised to full-staff in 2018, just two days after Sen. John McCain's death, prompting criticism from all sides of the political spectrum. The president, who had a combative relationship with McCain, eventually ordered the flag to be lowered again.