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What is the White House protocol for handling a fallen or soiled American flag and was it followed in this incident?
Executive summary
Photographs and video from November 16–17, 2025 show an American flag on a newly installed South Lawn flagpole of the White House appearing to droop low enough that critics said it touched the ground; the White House denied the flag touched the ground [1] [2]. U.S. flag guidance says the flag “should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground” (Title 4 / Cornell summary), while reporting also notes the flag had been lowered to half‑staff to honor former Vice President Dick Cheney until his interment on Nov. 20 [1] [2] [3].
1. What the federal guidance says about a fallen or soiled flag
The widely cited U.S. Flag Code language summarized in reporting and legal guides states the flag “should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water or merchandise,” and flags damaged or soiled should be retired in a dignified way; news outlets cite that guidance when assessing incidents where a flag appears to contact the ground [1] [2]. Reporting and flag‑tracking groups also point to statutory customs about half‑staff observances — for example, flags are to be lowered from the day of a former vice president’s death until interment — which governs why the White House flag was at reduced height at this time [3] [4].
2. What happened at the White House in mid‑November 2025
Multiple outlets circulated images and clips showing the new South Lawn flag appearing to hang very low, and People and Newsweek described public viral posts claiming the flag was on or near the ground as the president returned to the White House [1] [2]. The White House spokesperson responded directly to at least one outlet saying the flag “never touched the ground” and called the viral posts “fake news” in that instance [1]. Some social media observers suggested rotor wash from Marine One or other factors may have influenced the flag’s position; reporting noted follow‑up footage was reviewed with differing interpretations about timing [2].
3. Why the flag might have been low without protocol violations
Contextual reporting reports two relevant facts: first, the White House had ordered flags lowered to half‑staff in observance of former Vice President Dick Cheney’s death and that practice continued until his interment date Nov. 20 [3] [4]. Second, the White House had recently installed new large flagpoles on the North and South Lawns during 2025, meaning the flags seen were unusually large and could behave differently in wind or under rotor wash [5] [1]. Those factors could make a half‑staffed, heavy banner appear to brush low without necessarily constituting an intent to let it touch the ground — but available sources do not provide an on‑the‑record, independently corroborated measurement of whether the fabric actually contacted the ground.
4. Competing claims and the evidence each cites
Critics point to still photos and social posts that visibly show the flag low enough to appear to touch the ground and invoke the Flag Code prohibition [2]. The White House denies the allegation in at least one on‑the‑record statement to People, saying the flag did not touch the ground and labeling the claim “fake news” [1]. Newsweek and other outlets reported both the visual evidence and the White House rebuttal, and they also note that subsequent video review was used by some observers to argue the flag was down before Marine One arrived — which complicates causal narratives about rotor wash [2].
5. What is established, and what remains uncertain
Established by the available reporting: the flag was flying low in images that went viral; the U.S. Flag Code language forbids the flag touching the ground; the White House said the flag did not touch the ground; and the flag was lowered to half‑staff in connection with Cheney’s death [1] [3] [2]. Uncertain from current reporting: whether the fabric actually made contact with the ground, whether staff followed internal handling/retirement procedures if contact or soiling occurred, and whether any formal investigation or corrective action followed — available sources do not mention any internal review or confirmation beyond the White House denial [1] [2].
6. Why this matters politically and symbolically
Flag etiquette is legally non‑punitive but highly symbolic; observers on different sides treat an alleged mishandling as either evidence of negligence or as viral mischaracterization, and both narratives are present in reporting [2] [1]. The interplay of photographic evidence, rapid social amplification, and an official denial illustrates how quickly a single image can become a contested political symbol even when procedural details remain unverified [2] [1].
If you want, I can pull together the specific chronology of published photos/video and the White House statements in chronological order using only these same sources.