Texas Orders Flags to Be Raised for Donald Trump’s Inauguration Despite Jimmy Carter’s Mourning Period

The U.S. flag code makes clear that American flags should remain at half-staff for 30 days after the death of a former president

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered that American flags be raised to full-staff on Jan. 20 in honor of President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration, breaking U.S. flag code during the mourning period of a former president.

Abbott’s order, which extends to all flags at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings, comes after President Joe Biden ordered all U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff for one month following former President Jimmy Carter‘s death on Dec. 29 — including on Inauguration Day.

“Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter,” Abbott said in a press release on Monday, Jan. 13. “President Carter’s steadfast leadership left a lasting legacy that will be felt for generations to come, which together as a nation we honor by displaying flags at half-staff for 30 days.”

The Texas governor continued: “While we honor the service of a former President, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America.”

According to the U.S. flag code, American flags should be flown at half-staff for 30 days following the death of a president or former president. Biden reaffirmed that he will not make an exception to President Carter’s month-long mourning period by raising the flags on Jan. 20.

Since Carter’s death, Trump has been vocal about his frustration that flags will be lowered for his inauguration, writing in a Jan. 3 Truth Social post that it was making Democrats “giddy.”

“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,” he wrote. “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!”

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Despite Trump’s claim, 2025 will not be the first year that American flags fly at half-staff during a presidential inauguration.

When President Harry S. Truman died weeks before President Richard Nixon‘s second inauguration, Nixon ordered that flags remain lowered during his own swearing-in.