Austin Bureau Correspondent
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott ordered flags to be raised to full staff next Monday at the Texas Capitol and all state government office buildings in honor of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
President Joe Biden last month directed flags to be displayed at half-staff for 30 days at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds to honor former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29 at age 100.
Abbott said Texas continues to mourn Carter’s death but noted the federal flag code says the American flag “should be displayed on all days, especially on … Inauguration Day, January 20.”
“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,” Abbott said in a statement.
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But next Monday, Abbott continued, the country will celebrate the transfer of power as Trump is sworn in as the 47th president.
“While we honor the service of a former President,” Abbott said, “we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America.”
Monique Alcala, executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, said Abbott was racing “to become Trump’s #1 bootlicker.”
“With another freeze predicted to hit the state [of Texas] on Inauguration Day, the Governor should remain focused on not fumbling another major disaster that leaves Texans in the dark,” Alcala said in a statement.
Nolan covers Texas politics. Before relocating to Austin in June 2024, he spent nearly a decade in Washington, D.C., reporting on national politics, including the White House, Congress and presidential campaigns. He is a graduate of Florida A&M University.
