Despite mourning for Jimmy Carter, the flag at Mar-a-Lago remains at full staff, sparking discussions about tradition and celebration.
Carter, who was the 39th President, passed away on December 29 and was laid to rest in Plains, Georgia, last week. President Biden declared a 30-day mourning period for him, who lived to be 100. This means flags will be at half-staff during Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Trump has voiced his annoyance that his big day will overlap with the mourning of a former president. He took to social media, saying, “The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration.” He added that no American should be happy about it and is curious to see how it unfolds.
Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he’s ready to shift gears from mourning to celebration for Trump. He stated, “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.”
It’s standard U.S. policy to fly flags at half-staff for 30 days after a president dies, but there aren’t strict penalties for not following this tradition. For other high-ranking officials, flags are lowered for ten days.
Carter served one term in office before leaving in 1981 and holds the record for the longest-lived U.S. president. All five living presidents attended his funeral in Washington D.C. last Thursday, including Trump, Biden, Obama, Clinton, and Bush.
As for Trump’s inauguration, plans are coming together, with Carrie Underwood and the Village People set to perform. The Village People shared on Facebook, “We know this won’t make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics.” Their classic song “YMCA” is a staple at Trump events, and he mentioned it’s one of his go-to tracks for parties at Mar-a-Lago.
