AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday ordered all flags to be raised to full staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings on January 20, 2025, in honor of Inauguration Day.
The governor cited a federal statute stating that “the U.S. flag be displayed especially on…Inauguration Day, January 20.”
President Joe Biden ordered flags to be at half-staff for 30 days following the death of former President Jimmy Carter. This order would have included President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, set for January 20 in Washington, D.C.
Following Biden’s order, Abbott ordered flags in Texas to be at half-staff for the duration of Biden’s directive.
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Here is the original order:
“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has issued an order lowering flags to half-staff for thirty days in honor of former President James E. Carter, Jr. who passed away. Texas flags should remain at half-staff for the same period of time.”
Here is the governor’s full statement on his new order issued Monday morning:
“Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. 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.”
This will be the second time that flags will be at half-staff during the presidential inauguration.
This comes from an original proclamation signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower that orders flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days upon the death of officials. On December 29, Biden enacted that proclamation following Carter’s death.
The first time flags were at half-staff during the inauguration was in 1973, when then-President Richard Nixon took the oath of office weeks after the death of former President Harry S. Truman, who died on Dec. 26, 1972.