A Republican county official in New York walked backed his decision to not lower flags to half-staff to honor late Democratic president Jimmy Carter.
Carter, the 39th president, died at his home in Plains, Georgia on December 29, 2024 at the age of 100. Following Carter’s death, President Joe Biden called for flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days at all federal facilities. New York State’s Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul also issued a similar proclamation.
However, the Trump supporting Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman, rebuffed that request leading to backlash from Democrats.
Blakeman did an about face on Sunday, saying in a statement that he would allow flags to be lowered at county-operated buildings, but only for three days beginning on Tuesday Jan. 7 when Carter lies in state through his burial on Thursday Jan. 9.
Blakeman’s compromise of three days does not include Trump’s Jan. 20th inauguration date which falls within the 30 day window when flags will be at half-staff in other New York municipalities and across the country to honor Carter.
Trump recently complained about the flags being flown at half-staff during his inauguration in a post on Truth Social.
He claims “Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration” because they “don’t love our country.”
“Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess!” Trump continued. “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!”
