White House Flag Flies At Full Staff As Nation Honors John McCain
WASHINGTON (CBS) -The American flag flying above the White House was at full staff early Monday morning even as the nation continued honoring the life and legacy of Sen. John McCain. The Arizona Republican, whose relationship with President Trump has long been fraught, died on Saturday at the age of 81 after battling brain cancer.
While the White House originally lowered the flag late Saturday evening, White House reporters, including CBS News' Mark Knoller, noticed that the flag was back at full staff Monday morning:
Flag back at full staff atop WH. Pres Trump did not issue proclamation on the death of @SenJohnMcCain, which usually calls for flags to remain at half-staff through the day of interment, which is Sunday at the @NavalAcademy. pic.twitter.com/NGasNPT0VB
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 27, 2018
Knoller notes that Mr. Trump did not issue a formal proclamation on McCain's death. Typical practice is for flags to remain at half-staff through the day of internment. McCain's final resting service will take place Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
The U.S. flag code calls for flags to be lowered in the event of the death of a member of Congress "on the day of death and the following day." But presidents have the power to issue proclamations extending that period.
In 2009, following the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, President Obama ordered flags to fly at half-staff for five days.
In honor of John McCain, one of our nation's finest public servants — I direct New York State's flags be flown at half staff. A small gesture for one of America's giants. Godspeed, Senator McCain. pic.twitter.com/FThP1KQEc5
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 26, 2018
Meanwhile, governors from Ohio's John Kasich to New York's Andrew Cuomo ordered that public flags in their respective states remain at half-staff to honor McCain. The senator will lie in state at the Arizona state capitol on Wednesday with his first memorial service taking place in Phoenix on Thursday. Vice President Joe Biden is currently slated to speak.
He will later lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, with another service taking place in Washington on Saturday, where former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama are expected to speak.
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