A recent political controversy unfolded on New York’s Long Island when a Donald Trump-supporting county executive initially refused to lower flags in honor of former President Jimmy Carter. The incident sparked backlash from Democrats in the area.
The county executive, Bruce Blakeman, who is associated with the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, eventually reversed his decision and agreed to lower the flags for just three days, January 7-9, after facing criticism from Democratic officials. However, the White House ordered public flags to be displayed at half-staff for 30 days from President Carter’s day of death, December 29.
Disrespectful!
What’s next? Are they going to spit on Democrat war veterans who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris?
“Show some respect and fly them at half-staff for the 30 days that President Biden called for. Stop being a partisan shill,” wrote one commenter under his statement on X.
“All flags should be raised to their highest point. Enough with the nonsense,” wrote another.
Of course, President-elect Donald Trump sees it differently.
“The Democrats are all “giddy” about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at “half mast” during my Inauguration,” said Trump via social media. “
“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.”
Seth Koslow, a Democratic county legislator, told CBS News New York that “politics shouldn’t play into” the decision whether to honor a former president.
“This should be about what’s right for a person who represented our country, who guided our country and then served our country when they were done as president, and it’s the right thing to do.”
The situation highlights the ongoing political tensions between supporters of former President Donald Trump and their opponents, even in matters of traditional protocol and respect for deceased former leaders. It also underscores the influence that public opinion and political pressure can have on local officials’ decisions, particularly in politically charged environments.
This incident serves as a reminder of the deep political divisions that continue to exist in various parts of the United States, where even symbolic gestures like flag lowering can become points of contention between different political factions.