Trump Forced to Fly U.S. Flag Half-Mast for McCain

Segun Atanda/

Americans forced President Donald Trump to eat the humble pie today after flying the U.S. Flag at full mast in apparent disrespect to Senator John McCain who died on Saturday.

As American flags around the nation remained at half-staff on Monday to honor the late senator, a Republican who had survived a Vietnam War prison camp and weathered the gradual coarsening of politics within his own party, the White House flew its own flag full staff — and then lowered it again — amid a public outcry that the president had stayed quiet as others mourned.

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the president broke a period of silence by issuing a proclamation to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff until the day of Mr McCain’s interment.

“Despite our differences on policy and politics, I respect Senator John McCain’s service to our country,” Mr Trump says in a statement, “and, in his honour, have signed a proclamation to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff until the day of his interment.”

Additional Report from New York Times