White House urged to lower flag for Mccain

• Posted on August 27, 2018
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

US senators have issued a bipartisan call to lower American flags in honour of John McCain after the White House raised its Stars and Stripes back up.

Top Democrat Chuck Schumer and top Republican Mitch McConnell said flags on all government buildings should be at half-staff for the late senator.

President Donald Trump has long feuded with McCain, and is reportedly not invited to his funeral.

The Arizona Republican died on Saturday of brain cancer.

President Trump ordered the flags to fly at half-staff on Saturday evening.

But they were flying at full-staff by Monday morning, even as the flags at the US Capitol remained at half-staff.

Some said the White House was simply following proper procedure because US Flag Code states that flags be lowered “on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress”.

However, others pointed out it is traditional to keep flags lowered to honour lawmakers and major public figures until their funerals.

On Monday, Mr Schumer and Mr McConnell asked for the flags to remain at half-staff until sunset on the day of McCain’s funeral on Saturday.

The White House issued no formal statement over the weekend about McCain’s death, though one was drafted, according to US media.

Instead, both the president and Vice-President Mike Pence offered their condolences to the senator’s family via Twitter.

Critics have questioned why Mr Trump has not issued a presidential proclamation to lower the flags, as previous presidents have done for major political figures.

President Barack Obama ordered flags at the White House be flown at half-staff for nearly five days after Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts died in 2009.

And Mr Trump himself issued flag flying proclamations following mass shootings in Las Vegas and Parkland, Florida.

He also had the flags lowered when former First Lady Barbara Bush died until she was buried.

Since taking office, the enmity between the president and McCain has been well documented.

Earlier this month, when he signed a multi-billion dollar defence bill named after McCain, Mr Trump did not say his name.

Source: BBC