Gov. Greg Abbott has directed all flags at the Texas Capitol and state buildings to be raised to full-staff on January 20, 2025, in honor of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Abbott stated that the decision aligns with federal guidelines, which call for the U.S. flag to be prominently displayed on significant occasions such as January 20, when a new president is sworn in.
This announcement follows the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. In accordance with federal protocol, the Biden administration ordered flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide for 30 days to honor Carter’s legacy. The overlap of this mourning period with Inauguration Day—the occasion marking the swearing-in of Donald J. Trump as the 47th president—sparked debate over whether flags should remain lowered or be raised for the historic event.
In a statement, Abbott addressed both the need to honor Carter’s legacy and the significance of Inauguration Day as an important celebration for the country.
“Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter,” Abbott said. “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.”
He added: “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.”
Earlier this month, Trump addressed the controversy surrounding flag protocol on Truth Social, criticizing Democrats for their enthusiasm over the prospect of flags remaining at half-staff during his inauguration.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump posted. “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… 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.”
