WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump expressed his dismay on Friday regarding the decision to keep American flags lowered to half-staff in honor of the late President Jimmy Carter during his own inauguration on Jan. 20. President Joe Biden had ordered flags to be lowered for 30 days following Carter’s passing on Dec. 29, as per tradition when a former U.S. president dies.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump, who is set to attend Carter’s memorial service in Washington on Jan. 9, criticized the continuation of the mourning gesture during his swearing-in ceremony. He accused Democrats of being pleased with the situation, insinuating that they prioritized their own interests over the country.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote, using the naval term for flying the flag at half-staff. “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 highlighted that due to Carter’s recent passing, the American flag would be lowered during a future president’s inauguration for the first time in history. He expressed discontent over the situation, stating, “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out.”
Responding to Trump’s comments, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that the administration had no intentions to reconsider the decision.
(Reporting By Steve Holland; additional reporting by Gabriella Borter; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
