President-elect Trump on Friday blasted Democrats as “giddy” that, at the time of his inauguration later this month, flags are set to be at half-staff to continue honoring the death of former President Carter.
Carter, the 39th U.S. president, died Dec. 29 at the age of 100, the longest-lived president in the nation’s history. Flags were lowered to half-staff to pay tribute to him and, the White House announced, they’ll remain that way for 30 days from Carter’s death.
That roughly monthlong period — reserved, per an Eisenhower-era proclamation, for a sitting or former president — will intersect with Trump’s Jan. 20 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 claimed on Truth Social, adding that “nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it.”
The flags will be lowered on all federal public buildings and grounds, as well as at all military posts, naval stations and naval vessels.
Asked about Trump’s post at the Friday briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House would not consider reversing or reevaluating the half-mast plans.
In the meantime, Carter’s state funeral will take place at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9, just days after the new Congress was sworn in on Capitol Hill. Biden is expected to deliver one of the eulogies, and Trump has said he’ll attend.
In a post after Carter’s death, Trump said he “strongly disagreed” with Carter “philosophically and politically,” but recognized that the former president “truly loved and respected our Country and all it stands for.”
