Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday ordered flags at the state capitol and state offices be returned to full staff on Jan. 20 in honor of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump to office.
The flags are currently flying at half-staff as the nation mourns the death of former President Jimmy Carter, and President Joe Biden ordered that flags remain at half-staff through Jan. 29.
Some critics of Trump expressed pleasure online that the flag would be flying at half-staff during Trump’s inauguration, leading to Trump to publicly fume about the order.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “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.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also ordered the state to allow flags to fly at full-staff for Trump’s Inauguration Day, and flags at Mar-a-Lago have been spotted flying at full-staff despite Gov. Ron DeSantis joining Biden in ordering flags be flown at half-staff during the period of mourning.
Although the federal government has specifically ordered flags to be flown at half-staff, Ivey cites federal law in a press release announcing her decision.
“Federal law, as cited in 4 U.S.C. §6, enumerates times and occasions for display of the U.S flag, including Inauguration Day, January 20,” Ivey said in the release. “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.”
Flags will return to half-staff on Jan. 21 for the remainder of the mourning period.
