Capitol flags to be raised to full height for Trump's inauguration: Johnson

The Republican leader's decision means that President-elect Donald Trump will not take the oath of office for his second term under a half-staff flag

Mike Johnson
The incoming president has expressed consternation that flags would still be lowered when he takes the oath | File image of House Speaker Mike Johnson | (Photo: PTI)
AP Washington
2 min read Last Updated : Jan 15 2025 | 7:51 AM IST

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday ordered that flags at the US Capitol be raised to their full height on Inauguration Day, pausing a 30-day flag-lowering order following the death of former President Jimmy Carter.

The Republican leader's decision means that President-elect Donald Trump will not take the oath of office for his second term under a half-staff flag, a prospect that he had previously complained about.

The 30-day flag-lowering period, set into motion with President Joe Biden's order, affects flags at federal government buildings and their grounds, as well as at US embassies and other facilities abroad, including military installations and vessels.

It runs through January 28, which encompasses Trump's inauguration and first week in office. In line with Biden's order, governors throughout the country issued their own orders to govern flags in their respective states.

The incoming president has expressed consternation that flags would still be lowered when he takes the oath, and it's possible that he could order the overall reversal of Biden's decision once he's installed as president on January 20.

Democrats are all giddy' about the notion that flags will be lowered on Inauguration Day, Trump wrote January 3 on social media.

Nobody wants to see this, Trump wrote. He added that no American can be happy about it. Let's see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Trump has already taken action over the flags that he can control: at his home in Florida. In the days following Carter's burial, a large US flag at Trump's private Mar-a-Lago club was observed flying at its full height, despite an order from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that mirrors Biden's.

As of Tuesday, DeSantis had not made alterations to the flag order in his own state.

The US flag code lays out parameters for lowering the US flag to half-staff, including a 30-day period for current or former presidents to cover flags at federal government buildings and their grounds, as well as at US embassies and other facilities abroad, including military installations and vessels.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :US CapitolDonald TrumpTrump Inauguration 2025

First Published: Jan 15 2025 | 7:50 AM IST

Next Story