‘Why Should Trump Get Special Treatment?’: Governor Abbott to Raise Flags at Full-Staff on Inauguration Day

Due to former President Jimmy Carter’s passing, flags on all U.S. public buildings were mandated by President Joe Biden to be raised half-staff. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas is taking a rather rebellious approach to protocol on Inauguration Day.

The Office of the Texas Governor revealed that flags will be flown at full-staff on inauguration day. Abbott “ordered all flags to be raised to full-staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings on January 20, 2025.” This is despite Inauguration Day coinciding with Carter’s mourning period.

Several social media users criticized Abbott’s decision. “Why should Trump get special treatment when Nixon was able to cope with it being down in 1973?” they wrote. During Nixon’s inauguration, the U.S. flags were at half-staff because the nation was mourning President Harry Truman’s death. Another X user said, “It’s the flag code. The law requires flags be lowered for 30 days. But hey, what do laws mean in 2025?”

Notably, President-elect Donald Trump was unhappy about having the flags raised only at half-staff during his Inauguration Day. He accused the Democrats of being “giddy” at the imagery of a half-staff flag when he’s sworn into office. While he may view his political opponents as vindictive, Biden was simply following the norm surrounding the flag. According to Section 7m of the U.S. Flag Code, “the flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President.” Even without Biden’s mandate, this must be observed.

Who’s in the right?

In Governor Abbott’s defense, he was also following the U.S. Flag Code. Section 6d emphasizes that the flag should be raised to full staff on specific occasions, including Inauguration Day. According to law professor Cary Coglianese, the flag has to be flown at half-staff—regardless of whether it coincides with Inauguration Day. Surprisingly, Abbott isn’t the only governor to choose to fly a full-staff flag on Inauguration Day. Nebraska and Iowa’s governors have also, respectively, chosen to do the same thing leading up to Trump’s presidency.