Alabama, Texas flags lowered for Carter’s death returning to full-staff for Trump’s inauguration

Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday ordered all flags at the Alabama capitol and state buildings return to full-staff when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated despite President Joe Biden’s order that flags be flown at half-staff to honor the life of former President Jimmy Carter.

Ivey’s order came 10 days after Trump lamented on social media that Democrats would be “all ‘giddy’” that he would be sworn-in with flags at half-staff.

Carter died Dec. 29 at age 100.

Biden ordered flags be flown at half-staff for a 30-day period of mourning that ends on Jan. 30

Ivey said her order, which applies to flags on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol Complex in Montgomery and at state buildings throughout Alabama, is in accordance with federal law.

“Federal law … enumerates times and occasions for display of the U.S flag, including Inauguration Day, January 20. Accordingly, flags at state buildings in Alabama should be raised to full staff on Monday, January 20, 2025, to honor the inauguration of the new president,” the governor’s order stated.

On Jan. 3, the president-elect said in a Truth Social post that “no American can be happy about it,” referring to the prospect of flags being flown at half-staff for his inauguration.

“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 posted. Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess! 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!”

Gov. Greg Abbot of Texas was the first governor in the country to order his state’s flags to be raised for Trump’s inauguration.