Mike Johnson Makes Major Announcement Infuriating Democrats: ‘Flags Will Fly At Full-Staff’

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is standing firm on a decision that has Democrats irate but has been praised by his Republican colleagues as a bold affirmation of American unity. Johnson announced Tuesday that flags at the U.S. Capitol will fly at full-staff on January 20, the day of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, in recognition of the country coming together for a peaceful transition of power. The move will mark a brief pause in the 30-day mourning period for former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 100.

“On January 20th, the flags at the Capitol will fly at full-staff to celebrate our country coming together behind the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald Trump,” Johnson tweeted, prioritizing unity and hope the day represents. “The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter.” Lowering the U.S. flag to half-staff to honor a fallen president has been a time-honored tradition since the mid-20th century.

The practice, rooted in maritime customs, evolved on land as a symbol of mourning for significant figures and national tragedies. The formal guidelines were established in 1954 through a proclamation by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, which standardized flag protocol. According to this proclamation, the flag is lowered for 30 days following the death of a sitting or former president. This solemn tribute applies to federal buildings, military posts, and other public spaces.

“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this month. “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. 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!”

It’s worth noting that this situation is not unprecedented. In 1973, during President Richard Nixon’s second inauguration, flags were at half-staff following the death of former President Harry S. Truman. While the U.S. Flag Code prescribes a 30-day half-staff period following the death of a president, it serves as a guideline rather than a strict mandate. On Monday, Governor Greg Abbott issued an order for all flags at the Texas Capitol and across state buildings to be flown at full-staff on January 20, to mark Inauguration Day. According to federal law, the U.S. flag is to be prominently displayed on this significant day.

“Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter,” Abbott said in a statement. “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. On January 20, our great nation will celebrate our democratic tradition of transferring power to a new President by inaugurating the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. 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. 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.”