Texas governor orders flags be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day
Remembering former president Jimmy Carter
The nation will pay final homage to the 39th President on Tuesday. A Commander in Chief who drew enormous praise for the leadership and the service he consistently delivered long after his White House years.
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Governor Greg Abbott is ordering flags to be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings.
President Joe Biden has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff through Jan. 28 in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29.
SUGGESTED: Jimmy Carter's death means flags will likely fly at half staff on Inauguration Day
Why are U.S. flags being flown at half-staff right now?
The backstory: Last month, President Biden ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff in honor of the late former president. It’s an honor that indicates that the country or a state is in mourning.
The U.S. flag code lays out parameters for lowering the U.S. 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 U.S. embassies and other facilities abroad, including military installations and vessels.
Why is Gov. Abbott ordering flags to full-staff on Inauguration Day?
What we know: Gov. Abbott ordered that all flags be raised to full-staff in honor of Inauguration Day, Jan. 20. He cites a federal statute that says that the U.S. flag should be displayed "especially on... Inauguration Day, January 20."
President-elect Trump has spoken out against the idea of flags being at half-staff for his inauguration.
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"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 3. "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
What they’re saying: In a statement, Gov. Abbott said, "Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. President Carter’s steadfast leadership left a lasting legacy that will be felt for generations to come, which together as a nation we honor by displaying flags at half-staff for 30 days. On January 20, our great nation will celebrate our democratic tradition of transferring power to a new President by inaugurating the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. As we unite our country and usher in this new era of leadership, I ordered all flags to be raised to full-staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings for the inauguration of President Trump. While we honor the service of a former President, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America."
Dig deeper: Click here to read the federal statute referenced by the governor.
Have flags been flown at half-staff on Inauguration Day before?
1/20/1973- Washington, DC: President Richard Nixon, inauguration general view of swearing-in ceremony with capitol building in background.
Flags were flown at half-staff when Richard Nixon was sworn-in for his second term in 1973.
Nixon had ordered the flags to be lowered after the death of former President Harry Truman.
The Source: The information in this article is from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's Office, U.S. flag code and previous reporting. The Associated Press contributed. This story was reported from Houston.