| TRENTON, N.J. – So much for being like California.
Gov. Phil Murphy issued a statement just before 6 p.m. Monday, an hour after sunset, that flags would indeed be raised “for the remainder of Inauguration Day.”
Assemblyman Brian Bergen says the governor shouldn’t have bothered at that point.
“It was a day to put aside the blue versus red and stand unified in the red, white, and blue,” Bergen (R-Morris) said. “It was a day for all Americans to celebrate the peaceful transfer of power in the most powerful nation on the planet for all the world to witness, and Murphy made it about politics. Petty and disgraceful.”
At least 30 governors across the nation—including California Gov. Gavin Newsom—directed that the American flag be flown at full staff Jan. 20 to honor the inauguration of 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, who was sworn in at noon Monday in the Capitol Rotunda in the presence of former presidents, both Democrat and Republican. Flags have been flying at half-staff across the nation since Dec. 31 to mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29 at age 100.
Flags will return to and remain at half-staff through Jan. 28.
U.S. flag etiquette, codified by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954, stipulates that the American flag be flown at half-staff for 30 days at all U.S. federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels after the death of a sitting or former president. States may follow suit.
Bergen released a statement Jan. 9 calling on Murphy to raise the flag to full mast for Trump’s inauguration. He pointed to historical precedent when, in 1973, President Richard Nixon raised flags briefly from half-staff, originally lowered for President Lyndon Johnson’s death, to honor the first American prisoners of war released from Vietnam. Flags returned to half-staff the following day to complete the mourning period.
“I heard that Murphy wants Trump to intervene on congestion pricing,” Bergen said. “Even Hochul recognized it was a day to celebrate and had her state’s flags raised for the whole day, so, we’ll see.”
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