Has any other US president ordered flags to be flown at half mast for a private citizen?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Was this fact-check helpful?
1. Summary of the results
The central factual claim is that President Trump ordered flags flown at half‑staff to honor Charlie Kirk; multiple reports confirm the order and note that several governors followed suit [1] [2]. The U.S. Flag Code grants the President authority to alter flag display by proclamation but specifies half‑staff observances for principal federal and state figures, not private citizens [3] [4]. Flag‑etiquette guidance underscores that the President’s directive legally governs federal flags but cannot compel private parties to lower their flags, only invite or encourage participation [5]. Taken together, the documented order exists, while the legal basis for applying it to a private citizen is unclear under the Flag Code [3] [4] [5].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Reporting cited the order and its adoption by some governors but omitted deeper historical and legal context that would clarify whether comparable presidential proclamations exist; the reviewed analyses do not provide precedents or a broader historical survey [3] [2]. The Flag Code language is cited to show prescribed categories for half‑staff, yet sources note the President may “modify or alter any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag by proclamation,” a phrasing that could be read as granting discretionary authority—an interpretive hinge point not resolved in the cited pieces [3] [4]. Alternative legal interpretations therefore matter: one view stresses strict textual limits; another highlights presidential proclamation power and customary practice [3] [4].
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
Framing the action as unprecedented or plainly unauthorized benefits actors who want either to emphasize presidential overreach or to portray exceptional recognition for an allied private figure; both narratives rely on selective emphasis. Sources that stress the Flag Code’s specified categories lean toward the conclusion that a president lacks authority to order half‑staff for private citizens, which can be used to argue illegality or norm‑breaking [4] [5]. Conversely, reports noting the proclamation power and governors’ compliance can be used to normalize the practice and portray it as within accepted gubernatorial and presidential prerogative [3] [2]. Readers should note that the same facts support competing frames depending on which textual or customary elements are foregrounded [3] [4] [5].